Land use study in Mewat area,Haryana, using remote sensing techniques

A soil and land use survey of Mewat area, Haryana, was carried out using the aerial photographs of 1:50,000. Four major physiographic units namely hills, piedmont plain, intermontante basin and Yamuna alluvial plain were recognised. The land use was studied in relation to the physiographic units. The legend adopted for land use classification has physiography at first level, utility at second level and management and identification at third and fourth levels respectively. Of the total area of 161,103 ha surveyed, 131,637 ha (81.72%) are cultivated. Of this 75,967 ha (47.16%) irrigated and 55,670 ha (34.56%) is unirrigated. Under uncultivated area, barren lands cover 14,224 ha (8.82%), forests occupy 3,463 ha (5.25%), settlements cover 3,300 (2.05%), water bodies occupy 1,312 ha (0.81%) and roads, railway lines, canals and drains constitute 2,167 ha (1.55%).