Lok Sabha Question No. 163 (STARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Combating Land Degradation and Desertification
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Midhun Reddy, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 163

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2021

## Combating Land Degradation and Desertification

## *163   SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measures  towards  achieving  the  national commitments  of  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  (LDN)  and  restoration  of  26  million hectares of degraded land by 2030 with focus on sustainable and optimum utilization of land resources;
- (b) if so, the details thereof?
- (c) whether  in  order  to  reverse  land  degradation,  there  is  a  need  to  revive  the  watershed management programme which includes afforestation and schemes aimed at conserving soil and water to check erosion, improve soil and increase recharge and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  released  the  latest  version  of  'Desertification  and  Land Degradation Atlas of India' and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the other measures taken by the Government to combat land degradation and desertification in the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (A)  TO  (E)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  163  FOR  ANSWER  ON  30/07//21  REGARDING 'COMBATING LAND DEGRADATION AND DESERTIFICATION' RAISED BY SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY AND  SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY

- (a) to (c)  The Government has launched several schemes/programmes which include  inter alia the National Afforestation Program, Green India Mission, Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi SinchayeeYojna (PMKSY) which contribute to the target  of  restoration  of  26  million  hectares  of  degraded  land  and  achievement  of  land degradation  neutrality  with  focus  on  sustainable  and  optimum  utilization  of  land resources.

An Inter-Ministerial Committee of nodal officers of concerned line Ministries/Departments has been constituted regarding restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land and achievement of land degradation neutrality.

The  Watershed  Development  Component(WDC)  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi SinchayeeYojana  was  launched  in  2015.  It  contributes  towards  restoration  of  land through its  various  interventions  which  include  inter-alia  building  of  water  harvesting structures,  area  brought  under  protective  irrigation,  area  brought  under  plantation (afforestation / horticulture etc.).

- (d)  and  (e)  Space  Application Centre (SAC),  Ahmedabad released the latest version of the 'Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India' on 17 June 2021. The Government  has  undertaken  a  number  of  measures  to  combat  land  degradation  and desertification in the country. These are as follows:
- (i)A  Desertification  and  Land  Degradation  Atlas  has  been  prepared  by  SAC.  It  provides state-wise  area  of  degraded  land.  It  would  help  in  planning  and  implementation  of schemes aimed at restoration of land  by providing important data and technical inputs.
- (ii) An online portal has been developed with the help of Space Application Center(SAC), Ahmedabad  for  visualization  of    degraded  area  of  land  with  the  processes  causing degradation.
- (iii) A Centre of Excellence has been envisaged at the Indian Council for Forestry Research and  Education  (ICFRE)  Dehradun  for  enhanced  South-South  Cooperation.  It  aims  at knowledge  sharing,  promotion  of  best  practices,  sharing  of  India's  experiences  with cost-effective and sustainable land management  strategies, developing ideas for transformative projects and programs and capacity building.