Distributional Pattern of Soils in The Chhattisgarh,
(A Study of Dharsiwa Block, District Raipur)
Dr. Rajeshwar Kumar Verma1, Ms. Anjani Patel2
1Head. P.G.Dept. of Geography, Seth P.C. Agrawal College, Nawapara (Rajim)
2Technician P.G. Dept. of Geography, Seth P.C. Agrawal College, Nawapara (Rajim)
ABSTRACT:
While detailed mapping and analyses have been successfully done of the soils of many part of India by different agencies, the Chhattisgarh region still remains a blank space on the map of the country in the regard. (Gupta,1992) Recurrence of the same three or four types of soil in almost all villages of the region has defined the attempts of the soil scientists to map the distribution of soils. The soils are found in small patches, not contiguous zone or belt. Therefore any attempt to map their distribution would be confronted with two problems:
1. Regional soil mapping will have to be preceded by the preparation of village soil maps. All the villages will have to be taken in consideration; sample village cannot be of much help.
2. Patchy distribution of soils imposes the restriction of scale also. It is difficult to depict the intra-village soil patches on a macro-regional map. Detailed mapping can be accurately done at block or tahsil level only.
In the absence of any regional level soil survey, studies pertaining to the physical and chemical characteristics of the soils are also few and sporadic.
KEYWORDS: playwrights, female characters, male-dominated society, survive for life, search for identity.
INTRODUCTION:
Objectives
Knowledge about the distribution and the physical characteristics of soils is a pre-requisite for agricultural planning of a region. This research paper a due is an attempt in this direction:
There are two broad objectives of the study:
I. To prepare a soil map of Dharsiwa block on the basis of the village level soil distribution, and to discuss the distribution pattern in relation to the determinant factors.
II. To bring out the physical characteristics of the soils. The special feature of the study
The study pertains to the upper layer of soils, which bears more significance to crop production than the lower horizons do. To make the study more comprehensible to the academicians and the farmers alike, local nomenclature of the soils has been used.
The research started with a recurrent and micro survey of some villages so as to have a preliminary Knowledge of the lay of the land and the soils. During the course of the survey, discussion were held with some Villagers, Patwaris, and other employees regarding the characteristics of the soils and the availability of relevant map and other types of information in the government offices.
Mechanical analysis of fourteen soil samples was done in the laboratory of the department of geology & mining Raipur.
The village maps(16” = 1 mile) showing soil types of the agricultural land and the field observation formed the bases of preparation of soil type map of the block. The soil type boundaries shown on the village map were carefully transferred within the boundaries of the respective villages on the block (1”= 4miles).
Dharsiwa Block, a full fledged tahsil, lies in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh State . It forms a part of the upper Mahanadi plain. Bordered by the river Kharun in the west and Tilda, Arang and Abhanpur block in the east, the block covers an area of 662 km2 between 21013‟15” and 21018‟30” North Lat. and 81031‟10” and 81042‟17” East Long . There are 127 villages and one city (Raipur) in it.
The geological formation of the area belongs to the Cuddapah system which consist of almost horizontally bedded or low-dipping limestones, shales and sandstones. The whole block is a plain with a low relief. However, small undulations are found throughout the area. The elevation varies from nearly 315 M in the north-east and the north-west to 297m in the centre.
The area is drained by the river Kharun and its tributaries. The Kharun river flows on the western border of the block from south to north. The other perennial stream of the area is the Kolhan and Chhokara Nalas a tributar of the Kharun river, which flows from west to east.
The area lies south of the tropic of cancer and has the typical tropical monsoon climate with a seasonal rhythm. The mean monthly temperature at Raipur ranges from 20.60C in December, the coolest month to 35.80C in May, the hottest month. The average annual rainfall at Dharsiwa amounts to 1156 mm, 93 percent of which occurs during June to October. The rest seven month receive very little rainfall and hence are almost dry.
Dharsiwa Block is predominantly an agricultural area where net sown area covers 54.72 percent of the total area. Forest is totally absent from the landscape.
The Mahanadi canal system (Mandhar Branch) is main source of irrigation in the area. The block has poor irrigation facilities. Paddy is the principal crop with no close rival. It occupies 70.8 percent of the total cropped area.
DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERNS OF SOIL:
The soils of the region are derived from lime stones and shales. They are locally classified as (i) Bhata, (ii) Matasi, (iii) Dorsa, (iv) Kanhar and (v) Kacchari. Except kachhari, the rest four types are formed in a topographic sequence representing different section of a soil catena. A catena is a succession of soils down a slope. It usually extends from interfluve crest or hill summit to valley floor. It is primarily a function of the factor of relief, together with the indirect effect of relief upon hydrology (Young, 1976). The catenary nature of the soil of the Chhattisgarh region is confound by the studies done by Biswas and Gawande (1962), and gawande et. al. 1963. In the region the effect of relief on the soil is so pronounced that even a slight variation in the former causes variation in the characteristics of the latter. The soil characteristics change from the higher ground or the interfluve down the slope. Gradually, the texture becomes heavier, the colour darkens; the thickness increases and the ground water level rises.
Thee process involved in catenary differentiation are gravitative translocation of finer particles, surface wash and through flow of water within the soil which carry finer particles down the slope and lateral eluviations, i.e. moment of substances laterall down the slope in the solution. “This (lateral) leaching and redeposition of material constitutes a physical link between the members of a catena which is closely analogous to the physical link between the A and B horizons of a soil profiles” (Greene, 1947).
It may be noted that all variation of soil may not be found in all location. On steeper slopes the upland and lowland soils may occur adjancent to each other, and intermediate variations may be absent
Bhata Soil:
The Bhata soil occupy the higher physiographic position. They are gravally sandy to sandy loam in texture, red or reddish yellow in colour and mostly barren wasteland. Soil veneer is thin and at places murrum is found on the surface. The soil is leached and therefore acidic in reaction. In the sample of the Bhata soil of village Kunra the contents of sand, silt and clay are 62.00, 21.50 and 16.50 percent, and village Nagargaon 65.25, 18.25 and 16.50 percent respectively (Fig.1.); and pH value is 6.5. in the Bhata area the ground water level is usually low. The bhata soil is found in small patches in the block. It covers about 5031.35 ha of land which is only 7.6 percent of the total area of the block.
Matasi Soil:
The Matasi soil occupy slightly lower elevation. They are light yellow or grey in colour, loam to clay loam in texture and slightly acidic or neutral in reaction. This thickness of the soil increases in this part. Murrum, which is characteristics of the Bhata land, forms a layer below the Matasi soil veneer. The soil is suitable for cultivation; and it is worthy of mention that the mango groves are usually planted in the Matasi soil area. In the samples of the matasi soil of kunra, Nagargaon, Dhaneti and Deopuri villages sand varies from 35.25 to 41.50 percent, silt from 29.0 to 32.5 percent and clay from 26.0 to 34.25 percent (Fig 1). pH of this four samples is 6.8, 6.9, 6.6 and 6.7, indicating very slightly acidic i.e. almost neutral, reaction. The Matasi soil occurs in large and extensive patches mainly in the western part of the block. But its patches are more numerous and sporadic than those of the Bhata soil.Italso occurs mainly in the interfluves and on the mounts in the low lying areas. It occupies about 19860.60 ha. of land which is 30 percent of the total area.
Dorsa Soil
The Dorsa soil represent and intermediate stage between the Matasi and the Kanhar soil. Kanhar soil mixed with Kachhari (alluvial) silt along the Kharun Nadi and the Kolhan Nala are also known as Dorsa soils, because of slighthy higher proportions of silt and lighter colour. They are dark grey, dark brown or black in colour clay loam in texture and neutral in reaction. The Dorsa soil are thicker than the Matasi soil. In the soil samples of the four village, sand ranges from 27.0 to 30.5 percent, silt from 29.0 to 35.5 percent, clay from 39.5 to 42.5 percent ( Fig.1), and pH from 6.9 to 7.4 The Dorsa soil is also found in the small patches. Along the Kharun Nadi and the Kolhan Nala just behind the narrow strip of the kachhari soil. The soil is found on a variety of surface from interfluve to valley bottom. It covers about 13902.42 ha. land i.e. 21 percent of the total area.
Kanhar Soil
The lowland are occupied by the Kanhar soil. They are dark brown to black in colour, clay in texture and neutral in reaction. The thickness of soil increases and the layer of Murrum is found at a great depth in the Kanhar section. The ground water level is usually high in the Kanhar areas. In the samples of the Kanhar soils of the above cited four villages, sand varies from 17.5 to 22.5 percent, silt from 27.5 to 31.0 percent, clay from 48.5 to 53.0 percent (Fig.1) and pH from 6.8 to 7.2
The kanhar soil resembles the black cotton, i.e. regur, soil and belongs to the ustert suborder of the soil order vertisol. It is highly plastic and sticky, and high in capacity to shrink on drying and swell on wetting. It develops deep cracks when dry. Cracks with 1 meter and depth and 7-9 cm width are not uncommon. Cracks develop in the Dorsa and even in the Matasi but there width and depth are smaller due to smaller amount of clay content. With the moistening and swelling of soil from below through cracks, pressure is exerted causing upward and/or horizontal movements in soil.
Slicknesids and gilgai are probably produced by this process. “slicknesidsare polished and grooved surfaces in the soil made by one mass of material sliding past another gilgai is a micro relief features consisting of micro basins and microknolls and represent a surface working in response to internal pressure differential” (Stelia, 1976). The black soil develop on a variety of parents rocks such as basalt, granite, gneiss, limestone and shale (Govinda, Rajan and Gopal Rao, 1978) in the area under study, the parents rock are limestone and shale. All the four sequential variation of the soil catena may not be found at all locations. Depending on the amount on slope the intermediate variants may be absent and the Bhata and the Kanhar may occur adjacent to each other. The Kanhar soil is the most extensive soil covering most of the area in the western and the southern part of the block. In the north- eastern part, it is limited to the valley. It occurs over about 26613.20 ha. area which is 40.2 percent of the total area.
Kachhari
The Kachhari is the newer alluvium silty in texture deposit along the river by flood water. In the block, Kachhari is found in narrow strip along the Kharun Nadi and the Kolhan Nala covering a small area only. The Kachhari soil is confined to narrow strips along the Kharun Nadi, the Kolhan and Chhokra Nala covering only about 794.43 ha. i.e. 1.2 percent of the total area of the block.
CONCLUSION:
A glance at fig. 2 reveals that the Kanhar soil predominates the landscape followed by Matasi, Dorsa, Bhata and Kachhari soils. The low relief associated with the long history of weathering and soil formation seems to be the main cause of predominance of the heavier soil in the area. The lighter soils are confined to small patches in the interfluve upland.
While the different types of soils vary in their physical characteristics, they are quite alike in the plant nutrient status. However, the natural fertility is retained slightly more in the Matasi soils than in the Dorsa and the Kanhar soils.
REFERENCES:
1. Biswas, T. D. and S. P. Gawande 1962 : Studies on Genesis of Catenary Soils on Sedimentary Formations in Chhattisgarh Basin of M. P. I. : Morphology and Mechanical Composition, J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 10, pp. 223-234.
2. Gawande, S. P. et al. 1963 : Studies on Genesis of Catenary Soils on Sedimentary Formations in Chhattisgarh Basin of M. P. II : Mineralogical Assemblage in Fine Sand Fraction, J. Ind.Soc. Soil Sci., 11, pp. 355-360.
3. Govinda, Rajan S. V. and H. G. Gopala Rao 1978 : Studies on Soils of India, Vikas Pub. House Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
4. Greene, H. 1947 : Soil Formation and Water Movements in the Tropics, Soil Fertil. 10, pp. 253-256.
5. Singh, H. B. (ed.) 1982 : Punjab Agricultural Handbook, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludiana.
6. Steila, Donald 1976 : The Geography of Soils : Formation, Distribution and Management, Prntice-Hall, Inc., Engle-Wood Cliffs, New Jersey.
7. Townsend, W. N. 1977 : An Introduction to the Scientific Study of the Soil, Edward Arnold, London.
8. Venkateswarlu, J. 1976 : Soil Fertility Evaluation – Soil Testing and Plant Analysis, Chap. 12 in J. S. Kanwar (ed.), op. cit. pp. 410-456.
9. Young, Anthony 1976 : Tropical Soils and soil Survey, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Received on 09.09.2022 Modified on 30.09.2022
Accepted on 19.10.2022 ©AandV Publications All right reserved
Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2022; 13(4):253-256.
DOI: 10.52711/2321-5828.2022.00039