Study Area

Kolar district is located in the southern plains of Karnataka State, India. It lies between 77° 21' to 78° 35' east longitude and 12° 46' to 13° 58' north latitude and extends over an area of 8,225 sq. km. The population was 2.523 million (as per 2001 census report). For administrative purposes, the district has been divided into 11 taluks. There are 15 towns and 3,345 inhabited villages in the district. Figure 3 shows the study area. Kolar belongs to the semi arid zone of Karnataka. In the semi arid zone apart from the year--to--year fluctuations in the total seasonal rainfall, there are also large variations in the time of commencement of rainfall adequate for sowing as well as in the distribution of drought periods within the crop--growing season. Kolar district depends on the rainfall during southwest and northeast monsoon. Out of about 2,800 sq. km of land under cultivation, 35% is under well and tank irrigation. There are about 951 big tanks and 2934 small tanks in the district. The average population density of the district is 2.09 persons/hectare (rural) and 2.69 persons/hectare (rural and urban). The population density ranges from 1.44 (Bagepalli), 1.69 (Gudibanda), 1.70 (Srinivasapur) to the maximum of 2.55 (Kolar). While, the population density in taluks is as follows: Bangarpet (2.52), Malur (2.38), Gauribidanur (2.36), Sidlaghatta (2.16), Chintamani (2.10), Mulbagal (2.04) and Chikballapur (1.92).

Figure 3: Study area

The average livestock density of the district is 0.81. It ranges from 0.68 (Bagepalli, Malur), 0.70 (Kolar) to a maximum of 1.09 (Gauribidanur). Extent of forest cover in the district (as per Forest Department records) is about 6.5%. It ranges from 1.71 % (Bangarpet), 2.3% (Malur), 2.78% (Kolar) to 15% (Srinivasapur) and 20% (Chikballapur). Taluks are grouped into three categorizes based on percentage of forest cover (<10 %, 10--20% and >20% cover). Chikballapur and Bagepalli have forest cover > 20%, Gudibanda and Srinivasapur are in the range 10--20%, while remaining taluks have forest cover < 10% [12].

Karnataka State is situated between 11° 40' and 18° 27' north latitude and 74° 5' and 78° 33' east longitude in the center of western peninsular India, covering an area of 19.1 Mha and accounts for 5.8% of the country's total geographic area. It has a 350 km long coastline, which forms the western boundary. According to the 2001 provisional census the population of the State is 52.6 million (26.8 million males and 25.8 million females), with a rural population of 66.02% and an urban population of 33.98%. Physiograpically, the State can be divided into two distinct regions, Malnad or Hilly region comprising of mainly the Western Ghats and the Maidan or Plain region comprising of the inland plateau of varying heights. The forest types prevalent in the State are; Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Semi Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, Tropical Dry Deciduous and Tropical Thorn forests. Karnataka is divided into 10 agroclimatic zones taking into consideration the rainfall pattern--quantum and distribution, soil types, texture, depth and physio--chemical properties, elevation, topography, major crops and types of vegetation.