Conservation of Umiam Lake and its Catchment using Remote sensing and GIS inputs

25º 30’N 25º40’N 91º 45’E91º 55’E 25º 30’N 25º40’N 91º 45’E91º 55’E 91º 52’E91º 54’E 25º40’N 25º 38’N 25º40’N 91º 52’E91º 54’E Meghalaya North East Region Umiam catchmentUmiam reservoir and its surrounding STUDY AREA

U2 U3 U4 U5 U7 U1 U10 U9 U8 U6 U13 U12 U11 25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 50’E91º 55’E 25º40’N 25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 55’E91º 50’E Water body U1 - U13 Sub-watersheds SCALE meter N SUB-WATERSHED MAP OF UMIAM CATCHMENT

25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 50’E 91º 55’E 25º40’N 25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E 91º 55’E91º 50’E N Pine dense forest Pine medium denseforest Pine low dense forest Mixed dense forest Mixed medium dense forest Mixed low dense forest Settlement Water body Abandoned jhum Grass/Scrub Gravel stony waste Agriculture/ current jhum meter Scale LANDUSE / LAND COVER MAP OF UMIAM CATCHMENT

25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E 91º 50’E 91º 55’E 91º 50’E 91º 55’E 25º40’N 25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 55’E91º 50’E 3-5% 5-10% % % 0-3% % % >50 % Water body Built up area meter Scale N DIGITAL SLOPE MAP OF UMIAM CATCHMENT

APPROACHES IN FORMULATING A CONSERVATION PLAN Referring to the area available at different slopes and land uses a Conservation Plan was formulated for optimum utilization of soil and water resources to sustain productivity of agricultural and forest lands in the following approaches: 1)To control soil loss by means by insitu moisture conservation and runoff management programs such as vegetative hedges, various check dams, contour trenching, contour bunding etc. 2) To adopt scientific methods of crop production to try and achieve self-sufficiency of food items within the area. 3) To improve degraded lands by covering underAgro-forestry, Horticulture (including indigenous temperate fruit species), cash crop plantations (Tea etc.) and creating protective aforestation etc.

Area of sub-watersheds in ha for different Slopes & Landuse

BROAD BASED LAND USE AND TREATMENT PLAN FOR UMIAM CATCHMENT

25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 50’E91º 55’E 25º40’N 25º 35’N 25º 30’N 91º 45’E91º 55’E91º 50’E N N LEGEND Very low Low Medium. High. Very high Water body meter Scale PRIORITY SUB-WATERSHEDS OF UMIAM CATCHMENT

Land use class (Area in ha) Forest (evergreen/semievergreen, dense/open) Open scrub Built-up

MAJOR PROBLEMS Shifting cultivation in the form of ‘Bun’, is one of the major problems plaguing the area, inducing severe erosion and reducing the life span of the reservoir Improper management of Urban waste results in the accelerated siltation of the reservoir Regular forest fires destroy all cover and intensify the soil erosion and siltation problems

Barren forest floor after a forest fire Fire ravaged young pines Uncontrolled quarrying leading to siltation. Urban waste being washed into the reservoir Problems of Umiam Catchment Area

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