Wastelands in India
Concept
- Wastelands = Degraded, unproductive, or underutilized lands that cannot support cultivation or other economic activities without treatment.
- They include eroded soils, saline/alkaline soils, ravines, shifting cultivation areas, waterlogged lands, and degraded forests.
Extent of Wastelands in India
- According to Wasteland Atlas of India (Dept. of Land Resources, 2019): Total wasteland = 55.76 million ha (≈ 17% of total geographical area).
- Major states with high wastelands:
- Rajasthan (~22% of India’s wastelands).
- Madhya Pradesh.
- Maharashtra.
- Gujarat.
- Telangana & Andhra Pradesh.
Classification of Wastelands
- Culturable wastelands → can be reclaimed with proper management.
- Unculturable wastelands → permanently unfit for cultivation (rocky, steep, snow-covered).
- Degraded lands → loss of soil fertility/productivity due to natural or anthropogenic causes.
Causes of Wasteland Formation
1️. Natural Causes
- Soil erosion → water & wind erosion remove fertile topsoil.
- Waterlogging & salinity/alkalinity → poor drainage, over-irrigation.
- Shifting cultivation (Jhuming) → common in NE India.
- Floods, droughts, cyclones → destroy soil structure.
- Desertification → expansion of arid areas due to climate & overuse.
- Landslides & avalanches in hilly regions.
2️. Anthropogenic Causes
- Deforestation → exposes soil to erosion & degradation.
- Overgrazing → destroys vegetation cover, soil compaction.
- Unscientific cultivation → monocropping, poor management, slash-and-burn.
- Mining & quarrying → barren, rocky landscapes.
- Excessive irrigation without drainage → secondary salinization.
- Urbanization & industrialization → land degradation & pollution.
- Improper use of agrochemicals → soil toxicity & decline in fertility.
Consequences
- Loss of productive agricultural land.
- Decline in soil fertility, water availability, biodiversity.
- Contributes to climate change through loss of carbon sinks.
- Affects livelihoods of rural poor dependent on land.
Exam Crux
- Wasteland in India = 55.76 mha (2019) = 17% of geographical area.
- Rajasthan = highest share (~22%).
- Causes → erosion, salinity, waterlogging, deforestation, overgrazing, mining, shifting cultivation.
- Wasteland reclamation is central to Alternate Land Use Systems (ALUS) & National Wasteland Development Board (NWDB, 1985) programs.
Extent of Wasteland in India
- India has about 55–60 million hectares (Mha) of wasteland (≈17% of total geographical area).
- According to the Wasteland Atlas of India (2019) by NRSC & MoRD:
- 55.76 Mha classified as wasteland.
- Major wastelands: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.
- Globally, about 2 billion hectares of land is degraded.
Causes of Wasteland Formation
- Natural Causes
- Soil erosion (by water & wind) → loss of fertile topsoil.
- Waterlogging → salinity/alkalinity build-up.
- Droughts & aridity → desertification.
- Flooding & river shifts → deposition of sand/gravel.
- Unfavorable soil characteristics: acidic, saline, sodic, lateritic soils.
- Anthropogenic Causes
- Deforestation → soil erosion, desertification.
- Overgrazing → depletion of vegetation cover.
- Unscientific agricultural practices → mono-cropping, excessive tillage, nutrient mining.
- Irrigation mismanagement → secondary salinization, waterlogging.
- Mining & industrial activities → land degradation, pollution.
- Urbanization & infrastructure expansion → permanent loss of productive land.
Key Facts for Exam
- Wasteland = degraded, unutilized land with low productivity.
- Wasteland Atlas prepared by National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), ISRO in collaboration with Dept. of Land Resources (MoRD).
- Major categories of wasteland: gullied/ravinous land, waterlogged land, saline/alkaline land, degraded forest land, desertic land, barren rocky land, shifting cultivation areas.
- Rajasthan alone accounts for ~18% of India’s wasteland.
- Human activities contribute more to wasteland formation than natural causes.
- Reclamation strategies: afforestation, agroforestry, soil & water conservation, salinity management, organic amendments.
