Assessment and Management of the Biophysical Resources in District Bikaner, Western Rajasthan

Abstract

The assessment. utilisation and management of the resources potentials of ten major biophysical resources units by employing integrated resources inventory have been discussed. To increase the food production, the lager parts of four major biophysical resources units i.e. flat and sandy undulating aggraded older alluvial plains (MBRU-BK 1 and 2) and flat and sandy undulating interdunal plains (MBRU-BK-3 and 4) lying outside Rajasthan canal command area need priority to allocate funds for development and to grow rainfed crops by using suitable dry farming techniques and proper management practices. Any effort for increasing dryland production in the district should be put in these units. Five major biophysical resources units viz., flood plain (MBRU-BK-5), flat aggraded older alluvial plains (MBRU-BK-l), flat interduinal plains (MBRU-BK-!a), sandy undulating aggraded older alluvial plains (MBRU-BK 2 a and b) and sandy undulating interdunial plains (MBRU-BK-4 a) are likely to be covered by Rajasthan canal command area, which with proper management will have good potentials for growing vegetables, fruits, cereals and oil seeds. The sand dunes (MBRU-BK-6 and 7), gravelly aggraded older alluvial plains (MBRU-BK-8), saline depressions (MBRUBK- I0-) and some parts of sandy undulating: interdunial and aggraded older alluvial plains in the west of Kolayat have good potentials to develop as grasslands with proper management and by checking intense biotic interference. The gravelly and rocky surfaces (MBRU-BK·8 and 9) have good surface water potentials which could be developed and utilised for irrigation, human and livestock consumption by providing diversion, spreading and Collecting structures at suitable sites.