NDVI- and NDMI-Based Assessment of Post-mining Ecological Restoration in Shankargarh Hills, Madhya Pradesh, India (2017–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2026/v152i7/171308Keywords:
Community participation, Ecological restoration, Land Degradation, NDVI, Remote Sensing, Vegetation recoveryAbstract
Open-cast mining in Shankargarh Hills, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, has led to severe land degradation, including topsoil loss, soil compaction, reduced moisture retention, and sparse vegetation. This study evaluates the ecological restoration of 58.5 hectares of degraded land using multi-year Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from Sentinel-2 imagery spanning 2017 to 2025. Following an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), restoration activities commenced in 2019 through collaborative efforts between the local community and the Forest Department. Initial efforts were towards soil and moisture conservation, followed by plantation. The mean NDVI increased from 0.19 in 2017 to 0.30 in 2025, showing substantial vegetation recovery. Spatial analysis reveals a marked reduction in sparse vegetation across the site, accompanied by increases in moderate and dense vegetation classes. NDVI difference analysis shows improvement in most areas, with only localised declines. Field observations and photographic evidence corroborate the satellite-based findings. The results demonstrate that even severely degraded mining sites can achieve rapid recovery through targeted, community-driven restoration initiatives.
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