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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Wetlands are ecosystems whose formation, processes and characteristics are ascertained by water. Wetlands are critically important ecosystems providing significant social, economic and ecological advantages to the mankind. The importance of wetlands in Chhattisgarh is also exemplified by the most staple food of the state “rice”. Chhattisgarh is also known as “Rice bowl of India” and wetlands play an important role in the cultivation of rice. Therefore, the study has been carried out with the objective to prepare inventory of wetlands of upper Chhokara Nalla watershed (UCW). The watershed is located between 21o13′ to 21o14′ N Latitude and 81o 42’ to 81o 46’ E longitude covering an area of 1731 ha and falls in the Survey of India toposheet No. 64 G (1:250,000). The resource mapping of UCW includes Digital Elevation Model, Contour map, Drainage map etc. Wetlands inventory has been prepared from interpretation of Google Earth Pro Image in conjunction with different maps, followed by ground thruthing. The inventory includes number of wetlands, physico-chemical analysis of water samples, estimation of depth of wetlands, pre and post monsoon water spread area, estimation of volume of wetlands etc. Total numbers of 37 different wetlands have been identified inside UCW. Out of total area of wetlands (110.37 ha), river and streams occupies 42.82 ha (38.79%), reservoirs and barrages cover 6.30 ha (5.70 %), tanks and ponds occupy 5.69 ha (5.15 %) while abandoned quarries pond have a total area 56.56 ha (51.26 %). The Percentage of wetlands inside the UCW was found to be 6.37% of the total watershed area, which is satisfactory. However, when uses are concerned, most of the wetlands are underutilized and there is potential for its judicious utilization.