Assessment of Changes in Land Use Pattern During 2009-2019 After Starting a Cement Plant: A Study in Mylavaram Mandal, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh using Indian Remote Sensing Data

Kadapa district is a mineral-rich area with large deposits of cement-grade limestone. These rich mineral deposits have led this area to be placed along the list of the largest cement producers in Andhra Pradesh. The present study focuses on land use changes in the decade between 2009 and 2019 in the Mylavaram Mandal, where the Dalmia cement plant started in 2009. For this, the study uses the IRS imageries to produce LULC maps, and further, it tries to assess the changes in cropland and mining areas. The study tests the hypothesis that initiating a cement plant has led to the progress of industrial activity in this area. For which the utilization pattern of natural resources and land use will be carried out through LULC maps and how human capital was utilized through interaction and interview processes. It was observed that the thriving cement and slab polishing industries are mainly due to the availability of limestone-rich areas, roads, railway connectivity, and water resources. At the same time, initiating the powerloom sector at the household level is due to government support and conviction among the people to raise economically among both the skilled and semi-skilled people in the area.