Lok Sabha Question No. 4910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-23
Subject: Conversion of Barren Land into Cultivable Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra

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

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4910

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 23 RD  JULY, 2019

## CONVERSION OF BARREN LAND INTO CULTIVABLE LAND

4910.  SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA:

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

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

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) to (c):    As per publication on Land Use Statistics for 2014-15 (latest available), State-wise details of  barren & unculturable land including the state of Rajasthan for the year 2014-15 is at Annex I .  This includes all land covered by mountains, deserts, etc. which cannot be brought under cultivation except at an exorbitant cost.

- (d) to (f):  As per Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of State  Government  and,  therefore,  it  is  for  the  State  Governments  to  take  suitable  steps  to convert barren land into arable land. However, Government of India supplements the efforts of State Government through various programmes.

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 assetless persons etc.

Apart  from  this,  to  reclaim  and  develop  barren  lands    ICAR  has  developed  location specific bio-engineering measures for soil & water conservation, land management techniques, soil  reclamation  measures  for  saline,  alkaline,  waterlogged  and  acidic  soils. While  Indian Institute  of  Soil  and  Water  Conservation (IISWC) has developed  several location specific bioengineering  measures  to  check soil  erosion  due  to  run-off  of  rain  water,  Central  Arid  Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur has developed sand dune stabilization and shelter belt technology to  check  wind  erosion.  ICAR  through  Central  Soil  Salinity  Research  Institute,  Karnal  and  All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Salt Affected Soils has developed reclamation technology, sub-surface drainage, bio-drainage, agroforestry interventions and salt tolerant crop varieties to improve the productivity of  saline, sodic and waterlogged soils in the country. The ICAR also imparts training, organises Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) etc. to educate farmers on all these aspects.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 4910 due for answer on 23/07/19

State-wise details of barren & unculturable land in the country for the year 2014-15 (latest available)

## (thousand hectares)

| STATES/UTs              | Barren &Unculturable land   |
|-------------------------|-----------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH          | 1351                        |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH       | 37                          |
| ASSAM                   | 1190                        |
| BIHAR                   | 432                         |
| CHHATTISGARH            | 288                         |
| GOA                     | -                           |
| GUJARAT                 | 2552                        |
| HARYANA                 | 119                         |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH        | 777                         |
| JAMMU &KASHMIR          | 305                         |
| JHARKHAND               | 568                         |
| KARNATAKA               | 787                         |
| KERALA                  | 13                          |
| MADHYA PRADESH          | 1357                        |
| MAHARASHTRA             | 1727                        |
| MANIPUR                 | 1                           |
| MEGHALAYA               | 129                         |
| MIZORAM                 | 6                           |
| NAGALAND                | 2                           |
| ODISHA                  | 1078                        |
| PUNJAB                  | 58                          |
| RAJASTHAN               | 2403                        |
| SIKKIM                  | -                           |
| TAMILNADU               | 489                         |
| TELANGANA               | 607                         |
| TRIPURA                 | -                           |
| UTTARAKHAND             | 228                         |
| UTTAR PRADESH           | 462                         |
| WEST BENGAL             | 11                          |
| ANDAMAN&NICOBAR ISLANDS | 2                           |
| CHANDIGARH              | -                           |
| DADRA& N HAVELI         | 0                           |
| DAMAN &DIU              | -                           |
| DELHI                   | 18                          |
| LAKSHADWEEP             | -                           |
| PUDUCHERRY              | 0                           |
| ALL INDIA               | 16996                       |

Source: Directorate of Economics And Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare

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