Analysing the Impact of the Southwest Monsoon on Kharif Rice Acreage in the Raipur District Using Microwave Remote Sensing

This study utilized Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from Sentinel-1 to estimate the kharif paddy acreage in the Raipur district. The unique capability of microwaves to penetrate clouds enabled the mapping of paddy fields even during the monsoon season. Supervised classification based on training samples was employed to delineate paddy fields. The results demonstrated that the estimated paddy area closely matched the reported area, with error percentages of 5.3% and 8.6% in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The analysis of data from 2011 to 2019 revealed a consistent decline in both paddy acreage and rainfall during that period. Furthermore, the block-level analysis indicated significant spatial variations, with the Arang blocks having the largest paddy cover and the Raipur block the least. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed between southwest monsoon rainfall and the kharif rice cultivation, with paddy acreage decreasing during SW monsoon deficit years. These findings shed light on the impact of monsoons on rice cultivation and can guide agricultural planning and water resource management strategies in the region.