Lok Sabha Question No. 2742 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-06
Subject: Land Degradation and Desertification
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Manish Tewari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2742 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.03.2020

## Land Degradation and Desertification

## 2742.  SHRI MANISH TEWARI:

Will the MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  most  parts  of  the  country  particularly  Punjab,  are  facing  problem  of degradation of land and desertification due to various reasons including excessive use of underground water, excessive removal of sand from the riverbeds and deforestation, and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has formulated any stringent laws to prevent exploitation of natural resources such as sand and timber and if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) whether the Government plans to make India a land degradation neutral country by 2030 with a view to maintain and improve the condition of land resources;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  outcome  achieved  as  a  result  of  the  steps undertaken to make India a land degradation neutral country; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to curb desertification in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

- (a) As per the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, prepared by the Space  Applications Centre for the period  2011-2013, 29.32 %  of  the Total Geographical Area of the country i.e. 96.4 million hectares is undergoing the process of degradation. As indicated by this Atlas, 2.8% of total geographical area of Punjab State, i.e. 144653 hectares was undergoing desertification/land degradation in 201113. Significant process of desertification/land degradation in Punjab is rapid urbanization and vegetation degradation.

As per the assessment of the Dynamic Ground Water Resources of the country jointly carried out by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and State Governments for 2017,out of the total 6881 assessment units (Block/ Taluks/ Mandals/ watersheds/ Firkas) in the country, 1186 units in 17 States/UTs have been categorized as 'Overexploited' where  the Annual  Ground  Water  Extraction  is more  than  Annual

Extractable Ground Water Resource. In Punjab, out of 138 assessment units, 79%, i.e. 109 have been categorized as 'Over-exploited'

- (b) Government has formulated various Laws and Acts such as the Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and various State Acts and Rules for control, regulation and prevention of exploitation of forest and forest resources, including sand and timber, in the country. The responsibility of protecting natural resources in forest areas lies primarily with the respective State/UT Governments. Accordingly, the State/ UT Governments take necessary action under the relevant Acts and Rules.
- (c ) Yes, India has committed to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) status by 2030. At the recently concluded 14th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP) of United  Nations  Convention  to  Combat  Desertification    (UNCCD)  held  in  India  in September,  2019,  India  announced  its  ambition  to  restore  26  million  hectares  of degraded land by 2030.
- (d) and (e) National Afforestation & Eco-Development Board (NAEB) Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is implementing the "National Afforestation Programme (NAP)" for ecological restoration of degraded forest areas under which an area of over 2 million ha has been approved for afforestation at a cost of  Rs.3874  crore.  NAP  also  supports  Soil  Moisture  Conservation  activities  to improve the soil moisture regime in the implementation area along with providing livelihood  support  for  the  locals.  Various  other  schemes  like  Green  India  Mission, fund accumulated under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  Nagar  Van  Yojana  ete,  also  help  in  checking degradation  and  restoration  of  forest  landscape,  MOEF&CC  also  promote  trees outside forests realizing that the country has a huge potential for increasing its Trees Outside Forest (TOF) area primarily through expansion of agroforestry, optimum use of wastelands and vacant lands.

Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare has taken up various programmes like  the  National  Mission  for  Sustainable  Agriculture which  includes  interventions such  as  the  Soil  Health  Card,  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojna,  Mission  Organic Value Chain Development for North-Eastern Region, Rain Fed Area Development, National  Agro-Forestry  policy  and  the  sub-Mission  on  Agro-Forestry,  National Bamboo  Mission,  Prime  Minister  KrishiSinchai  Yojna-  Per  Drop  More  Crop (PMKSY) etc.

The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (of the Watershed Management Division of the Ministry of Rural Development) was amalgamated as a Watershed  Development  Component  of PMKSY in 2015-16  and  an  area  of  about 20.5  million  hectares  has  been  developed  under  completed  and  ongoing  projects. Upto October 2019 an amount of Rs 17751.75 crore has been released to States as

Central share for implementation of Watershed Development Project. Between 201415  to  2019-20  (upto September  2019),  total  6,08,384  water  harvesting  structures were created/rejuvenated, an additional area of 13,47,527 hectares has been brought under protective  irrigation,  and  27,25,587  farmers  have  been  benefitted  during  the said period. Under afforestation/horticultural activities 92,000 hectares degraded and rain-fed lands have been covered during 2018-19 and 2019-20 (upto second quarter).

Studies  have  also  been  carried  out  under  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural Research to combat desertification on various issues such as assessment of status of desertification in India's Arid Regions through satellite remote sensing and identification  of  field-based  indicators;  checking  soil  erosion,  sand  movement  and control wind erosion through sand dune stabilisation, shelter-belt plantation and soil and water conservation; rehabilitation of mine  spoil areas; methodology  for reclaiming degraded land due to water logging and salinity-alkalinity etc.

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