Lok Sabha Question No. 3668 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-10
Subject: Use of Cultivable Waste Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Prathap Simha

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3668

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  10 TH  DECEMBER, 2019

## USE OF CULTIVABLE WASTE LAND

## 3668.  SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

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

- (a) whether a large chunk of cultivable land is lying as a wasteland in various parts of the country including Karnataka;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  indicating  the  area  of  such  land  and  the  reasons  therefor, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government in consultation with the States has formulated any policy to convert the wasteland into a cultivable land; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b): Agricultural  land/  Cultivable  land  consists  of  net  area  sown,  current  fallows, fallow lands other than current fallows, culturalble wasteland and land under miscellaneous tree  crops.  As  per  the  latest  data  available  on  land  use  statistics,  State  wise  details  of cultivable  land  and  culturalble  wasteland  including  Karnataka  for  the  year  2014-15  is  at annexure-I.

(c) & (d): As  per  Seventh  Schedule  of  Constitution  of  India,  land  comes  under  the purview of State Government. Therefore, the State Governments are to take suitable steps to check  diversion  of  agricultural  land  for  non-agricultural  purposes.  However,  under  the National Policy for Farmers - 2007 (NPF-2007), State Governments have been advised to earmark  lands  with  low  biological  potential  such  as  uncultivable  land,  land  affected  by salinity,  acidity,  etc.,  for  non  agricultural  developmental  activities,  including  industrial  and construction activities. National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy - 2007 (NRRP-2007) has  also  recommended  that  as  far  as  possible,  projects  may  be  set  up  on  waste  land, degraded land or un-irrigated land. Acquisition of irrigated, multi-cropped agricultural land for non-agricultural uses may be kept to the minimum and avoided, to the extent possible.

Ministry of Rural Development is implementing an Integrated Watershed Management Programme  (IWMP)  for  development  of  rainfed  /  degraded  areas.    The  IWMP  has  been converted to  the  Watershed  Development  Component  of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) from the financial year 2015-16 principally for development of rainfed  portions  of  net  cultivated  area  and  culturable  wastelands.  The  activities  being undertaken  through  the  watershed  development  projects  inter  alia  include  ridge  area treatment,  drainage  line  treatment,  soil  and  moisture  conservation,  rain  water  harvesting, nursery  raising,  afforestation,  horticulture,  pasture  development,  livelihoods  for  asset  less persons etc.

In order to bring waste/degraded land into cultivation, Indian Council of Agricultural Research  (ICAR)  has  developed  several  location  specific  bio-engineering  measures  to check  soil  erosion  due  to  run-off  of  rain  water,  sand  dune  stabilization  and  shelter  belt technology to check wind erosion, reclamation technology for saline, sodic, waterlogged and acid soils in the country. Agro forestry intervention has also been suggested. The ICAR also imparts training, organises Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs) etc. to educate farmers on all these aspects.

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## Annexure 1

## State-wise details of Agricultural Land/ Cultiavble Land and Culturable Waste Land for the          year  2014-15 (latest available)

| STATES/Uts               | (Thousand hectares)                | (Thousand hectares)   |
|--------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| STATES/Uts               | Agricultural Land/ Cultiavble Land | Culturable Waste Land |
| ANDHRA PRADESH           | 9047                               | 391                   |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH        | 423                                | 62                    |
| ASSAM                    | 3364                               | 142                   |
| BIHAR                    | 6579                               | 45                    |
| CHHATTISGARH             | 5558                               | 351                   |
| GOA                      | 197                                | 53                    |
| GUJARAT                  | 12661                              | 1960                  |
| HARYANA                  | 3656                               | 17                    |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH         | 812                                | 122                   |
| JAMMU &KASHMIR           | 1075                               | 139                   |
| JHARKHAND                | 4343                               | 353                   |
| KARNATAKA                | 12827                              | 409                   |
| KERALA                   | 2266                               | 101                   |
| MADHYA PRADESH           | 17252                              | 1010                  |
| MAHARASHTRA              | 21099                              | 919                   |
| MANIPUR                  | 390                                | 1                     |
| MEGHALAYA                | 1056                               | 390                   |
| MIZORAM                  | 367                                | 7                     |
| NAGALAND                 | 694                                | 68                    |
| ODISHA                   | 6784                               | 550                   |
| PUNJAB                   | 4285                               | 69                    |
| RAJASTHAN                | 25511                              | 4038                  |
| SIKKIM                   | 97                                 | 4                     |
| TAMILNADU                | 8112                               | 325                   |
| TELANGANA                | 6877                               | 183                   |
| TRIPURA                  | 272                                | 3                     |
| UTTARAKHAND              | 1549                               | 317                   |
| UTTAR PRADESH            | 18939                              | 405                   |
| WEST BENGAL              | 5655                               | 17                    |
| ANDAMAN &NICOBAR ISLANDS | 28                                 | 3                     |
| CHANDIGARH               | 1                                  |                       |
| DADRA&NAGAR HAVELI       | 24                                 | 0                     |
| DAMAN&DIU                | 3                                  | 0                     |
| DELHI                    | 53                                 | 10                    |
| LAKSHADWEEP              | 2                                  |                       |
| PUDUCHERRY               | 29                                 | 5                     |
| ALL INDIA                | 181886                             | 12469                 |

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare.

Note:'0' relates to the area below 500 Hectares