Lok Sabha Question No. 1024 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-22
Subject: Salinity in Soil
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: PRATAPRAO GANPATRAO JADHAV

O.I.H

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1024

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND  NOVEMBER, 2016

## SALINITY IN SOIL

1024.       SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has made any assessment of soil salinity in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the reasons for salinity of soil; and
- (c) the details of the measures taken by the Government to reduce the salinity of soil and the extent of success achieved as a result of these efforts?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) & (b): Yes,  Madam.    As  per  available  estimates  of  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural Research (ICAR), an area of about 2.96 million hectare is affected by soil salinity across the country. State wise extent of area affected soil salinity is annexed.  Soil salinity is mainly created due to saline parent material, secondary salinization and sea water intrusion.
- (c): ICAR has developed various technologies for reclamation of Problem Soil consisting of subsurface drainage, bio-drainage, salt tolerant varieties of different crops (namely, rice, wheat and mustard) and agro-forestry interventions to improve the productivity of such lands.  Besides, ICAR  imparts  training  and  organizes  Field  Level  Demonstrations  (FLDs)  to  educate  farmers about latest technology adoption in this aspect.

Government  of  India,  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  has  launched  a 'Reclamation  of  Problem  Soil  (RPS)'  as  a  Sub-Scheme  of    Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana (RKVY) during 2016-17 for  reclamation of problem soil (alkalinity, salinity and acid). Under this scheme states having larger extent of problem soil area are being given financial assistance for reclamation of such areas.

## Annexure

## State-wise areas affected by salinity in India including coastal areas

## (Area in ha)

| S. No.                    | State                     |   Inland Saline soils |   Coastal saline soil |            Total |
|---------------------------|---------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|------------------|
| 1                         | Andhra Pradesh            |           0           |       77598           |  77598           |
| 2                         | A & N islands             |           0           |       77000           |  77000           |
| 3                         | Bihar                     |       47301           |           0           |  47301           |
| 4                         | Gujarat                   |           1.21826e+06 |      462315           |      1.68057e+06 |
| 5                         | Haryana                   |       49157           |           0           |  49157           |
| 6                         | Jammu & Kashmir           |           0           |           0           |      0           |
| 7                         | Karnataka                 |        1307           |         586           |   1893           |
| 8                         | Kerala                    |           0           |       20000           |  20000           |
| 9                         | Maharashtra               |      177093           |        6996           | 184089           |
| 10                        | Madhya Pradesh            |           0           |           0           |      0           |
| 11                        | Odisha                    |           0           |      147138           | 147138           |
| 12                        | Punjab                    |           0           |           0           |      0           |
| 13                        | Rajasthan                 |      195571           |           0           | 195571           |
| 14                        | Tamil Nadu                |           0           |       13231           |  13231           |
| 15                        | Uttar Pradesh             |       21989           |           0           |  21989           |
| 16                        | West Bengal               |           0           |      441272           | 441272           |
|                           | Total                     |           1.71067e+06 |           1.24614e+06 |      2.95681e+06 |
| Total area in million ha. | Total area in million ha. |           1.71        |           1.25        |      2.96        |

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