Crop Intensity as an Indicator of Agricultural Transformation in Urbanizing Bhagwanpur Tehsil, Haridwar (Uttarakhand)

This paper examines the effects of urbanisation on crop intensity and agricultural land use in Bhagwanpur Tehsil, Haridwar (Uttarakhand) based on Sentinel-2 Level-2A surface reflectance images on the year 2021. The main aim of the study was to examine the effect of urbanisation on agricultural activity and intensity of crop production in a fast urbanising area. The study estimated crop intensity values at the tehsil by developing seasonal NDVI composites of three agricultural seasons, namely, Zaid, Kharif, and Rabi, and using thresholds of crop presence. The results show that urbanisation had a varying effect on crop intensity with peri-urban areas experiencing increased crop intensity brought about by the intensification caused by the demand in the urban areas and central urban areas experiencing reduced crop intensity brought about by the transformation of land into built-up lands. The paper also puts emphasis on the importance of infrastructure and market access in enhancing agricultural intensification in peri-urban areas. This study contributes to the significance of agricultural transformation by emphasising the use of crop intensity as a tracking measure of agricultural transformation valuable to urban planners, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders. It highlights how vital it is to have integrated planning in order to harmonise urbanisation and agricultural sustainability.