ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to assess the soil erosion and its impact upon the livelihood of the people and how this can be mitigated using digital soil mapping in the Garhbeta region of West Medinipur district of the Indian state of West Bengal. Gully erosion is prevalent in the Garhbeta region, which poses a serious threat to the socio-economic conditions of the people living in the region. In order to analyze the nature and extent of gully erosion in the region, three satellite images for different years, i.e. 1998, 2009 and 2021, respectively have been used upon the basis of which the required maps have been prepared. It has been seen that the extent of gully erosion has increased over recent years. Due to this, the agricultural production has lessened, the structures have been demolished, the electric poles have been damaged, etc. in the region. In order to mitigate the problem, several ministries of the country like the Ministry of Agriculture (soil and water conservation division), Department of Environment, National Commission on Agriculture, etc. must take initiative to plan and prepare necessary documents. They should also encourage the local dwellers to plant trees as this helps to keep the soil intact. Moreover, suitable maps can be prepared using sophisticated tools and geographic information systems to further analyze the problems in depth and provide suggestions to lessen the impact of gully erosion which can be undertaken by the Nation Remote Sensing Agency of India.
