Lok Sabha Question No. 1507 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Barren Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Rahul Kaswan

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1507

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## BARREN LAND

1507.    SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that agricultural land in the country is rapidly becoming barren;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  there  is  any  proposal  of  the  Government  to  provide  land  and  farming knowledge to the farmers, so that the agricultural land could be saved from becoming barren in the future; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a)  & (b): As per the Land Use Statistics 2018-19 (latest available), the agricultural land in the country was 181.06 Million Hectare for the year 2017-18 and 180.89 Million hectare for the year 2018-19.

(c)  & (d): As per the Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of State Governments. The Government of India supplements the efforts of States through appropriate policy measures and budgetary support.

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.

A  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  'Support  to  State  Extension  Programs  for Extension Reforms' popularly known as ATMA Scheme is under implementation since 2005. Presently, Scheme is being implemented in 691 districts of 28 states & 5 UTs in the  country.  The  scheme  promotes  decentralized  farmer-friendly  extension  system  in the country. The objectives of the Scheme is to support State Government's efforts and to  make  available  latest  agricultural  technologies  and  good  agricultural  practices  in different  thematic  areas  of  agriculture  and  allied  areas  to  farmers  through  different extension activities viz; Farmers Training, Demonstrations, Exposure Visits, Kisan Mela, Mobilization of Farmers Groups and organizing Farm Schools etc.

Besides,  Soil  Health  Card  Scheme  was  introduced  in  the  year  2014-15  to optimize usage of nutrients. Soil Health Card Scheme is being implemented to assist all State Governments to evaluate fertility in all farm holdings across the country and issue soil health cards to farmers. Soil health cards provide information to farmers on nutrient status of their soil along with recommendation on appropriate dosage of nutrients to be applied for improving soil health and its fertility.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) of Government of India set up 727 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the Country with the mandate of Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development. As part of  their  mandate,  the  KVKs  are  conducting  training  programmes,  demonstrating technologies  on  farmers'  fields  and  creating  awareness  with  objective  of  farming knowledge  to  the  farmers.  During  2020-21,  the  KVKs  trained  15.76  lakh  farmers, conducted  2.16  lakh  demonstrations  and  organized  6.60  lakh  frontline  extension activities  for  awareness  creation  among  397.61  lakh  farmers  on  improved  agriculture technologies. Also, Indian Institute  of  Soil  and  Water  Conservation (IISWC)  has developed several location specific bio-engineering 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. The Council 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. ICAR also imparts training, to educate farmers on all these aspects.

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