Inventory of salt-affected soils and waterlogged areas: a remote sensing approach

Waterlogging and subsequent salinization and/or alkalization are the major land degradation processes in irrigated agricultural lands of arid and semiarid regions. The use of spaceborne multispectral data has been shown to have potential for deriving information on the nature, extent, spatial distribution and magnitude of various degraded lands. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS-1B) Linear Imaging Self-scanning Sensor (LISS-I) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data in the form of standard false colour composite (FCC) prints at 1 100000 scale covering Nagarjunsagar Left Bank canal command area in Andhra Pradesh, southern India, have been used to delineate waterlogged areas and salt-affected soils through a systematic visual interpretation approach. Waterlogged areas are estimated at 1380ha whereas salt-affected soils of mostly saline-sodic nature cover 6830ha of the command area. The methodology used and results are described in detail.