Lok Sabha Question No. 859 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-07
Subject: Saline and Alkaline Soils
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: LAKHAN LAL SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 859

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  7 TH  FEBRUARY, 2017

## SALINE AND ALKALINE SOILS

859. SHRI LAKHAN LAL SAHU:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to identify the acidic saline and alkaline soils through agricultural scientists/agencies to make such soil more fertile;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  area  of  land  in  hectares  identified  as  acidic,  saline  and  alkaline  soils  in various States including Chhattisgarh during the last two years and the current year;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  corrective  steps  to  improve  fertility  of such soils/land; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) to (c): As  per  available  estimates  of  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research (ICAR), about 243.63 lakh hectare area is affected by problem soils (Alkalinity, Salinity and  Acidity)    across  the  country,  including  23.55  lakh  hectare  area  in  the  State  of Chhattisgarh.  State wise details of area affected by Alkalinity, Salinity and Acidity are annexed .
- (d) to (f): ICAR has developed various technologies for reclamation of Problem Soil consisting of subsurface drainage, bio-drainage, salt tolerant varieties of different crops and agro-forestry interventions to improve the productivity of such lands.  Accordingly, Government  of  India,  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmer's  Welfare  has  launched 'Reclamation of Problem Soil (RPS)' as a Sub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during 2016-17 for   improving the fertility of such soils. Under this sub scheme, 15 States having larger extent of such areas have been covered on pilot basis.

Annexure State-wise area affected by Problem (alkali, saline and acid) Soils in India

(Area in Lakh hectare)

| Sl. No.   | Name of States    | Area affected by Problem (alkali, saline & acid) Soils   | Area affected by Problem (alkali, saline & acid) Soils   | Area affected by Problem (alkali, saline & acid) Soils   | Area affected by Problem (alkali, saline & acid) Soils   |
|-----------|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
|           |                   | Alkali                                                   | Saline                                                   | Acid                                                     | Total                                                    |
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh*   | 1.94                                                     | 0.60                                                     | 0.01                                                     | 2.55                                                     |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 17.69                                                    | 17.69                                                    |
| 3.        | Assam             | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 19.95                                                    | 19.95                                                    |
| 4.        | Bihar             | 1.06                                                     | 0.40                                                     | 0.41                                                     | 1.87                                                     |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh      | 0.13                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 23.42                                                    | 23.55                                                    |
| 6.        | Goa               | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 1.03                                                     | 1.03                                                     |
| 7.        | Gujarat           | 5.45                                                     | 15.59                                                    | 0.00                                                     | 21.04                                                    |
| 8.        | Haryana           | 1.84                                                     | 0.46                                                     | 0.02                                                     | 2.32                                                     |
| 9.        | Himachal Pradesh  | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 0.76                                                     | 0.76                                                     |
| 10.       | Jammu & Kashmir   | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 0.78                                                     | 0.78                                                     |
| 11.       | Jharkhand         | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 7.35                                                     | 7.35                                                     |
| 12.       | Karnataka         | 1.45                                                     | 0.02                                                     | 0.93                                                     | 2.40                                                     |
| 13.       | Kerala            | 0.00                                                     | 0.21                                                     | 24.26                                                    | 24.47                                                    |
| 14.       | Madhya Pradesh    | 1.24                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 4.82                                                     | 6.06                                                     |
| 15.       | Maharashtra       | 4.21                                                     | 1.71                                                     | 2.69                                                     | 8.61                                                     |
| 16.       | Manipur           | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 15.97                                                    | 15.97                                                    |
| 17.       | Meghalaya         | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 10.23                                                    | 10.23                                                    |
| 18.       | Mizoram           | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 11.63                                                    | 11.63                                                    |
| 19.       | Nagaland          | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 15.16                                                    | 15.16                                                    |
| 20.       | Odisha            | 0.00                                                     | 1.31                                                     | 2.03                                                     | 3.34                                                     |
| 21.       | Punjab            | 1.52                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 1.52                                                     |
| 22.       | Rajasthan         | 1.52                                                     | 0.82                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 2.34                                                     |
| 23.       | Sikkim            | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 0.58                                                     | 0.58                                                     |
| 24.       | Tamil Nadu        | 3.52                                                     | 0.11                                                     | 4.27                                                     | 7.90                                                     |
| 25.       | Tripura           | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 7.09                                                     | 7.09                                                     |
| 26.       | Uttarakhand       | 0.00                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 4.00                                                     | 4.00                                                     |
| 27.       | Uttar Pradesh     | 13.20                                                    | 0.22                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 13.42                                                    |
| 28.       | West Bengal       | 0.00                                                     | 4.08                                                     | 4.18                                                     | 8.26                                                     |
| 29.       | Others            | 0.00                                                     | 1.76                                                     | 0.00                                                     | 1.76                                                     |
| Total     | Total             | 37.08                                                    | 27.29                                                    | 179.26                                                   | 243.63                                                   |

Source: Degraded & Wastelands of India-Status and Spatial Distribution published by ICAR (2010)

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