Lok Sabha Question No. 2276 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Decreasing of Agriculture Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Mansukhbhai Dhanjibhai Vasava

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2276

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH   DECEMBER, 2022

## DECREASING OF AGRICULTURE LAND

## 2276. SHRI MANSUKHBHAI DHANJIBHAI VASAVA

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

- (a) whether the area of agricultural land in the country is continuously declining;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the  reasons  of  decreasing  cultivable  land  during  the  last  three  year,  State-wise; and
- (d) the details of the steps taken by the Government to preserve the agricultural land in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (d)         As per report on Land Use Statistics for 2018-19 (latest available), the details of agricultural land/ cultivable land in the country since 2013-14 are given at Annexure-I. The State / UT-wise details of agricultural land/ cultivable land from the year 2016-17 to 2018-19 (latest available) are given at Annexure-II .

As per Seventh Schedule of Constitution of India, land comes under the purview of State Governments. Therefore State government are to take suitable steps to check diversion of arable land for non agricultural purposes.  However, 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. The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy-2007 (NRRP2007) 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 or avoided, to the extent possible.

Further, Govemment has taken several steps to preserve agricultural land. These include:

- i) Per Drop More Crop- This scheme mainly focuses on water use efficiency at farm level  through  Micro  Irrigation  (Drip  and  Sprinkler  Irrigation  System).  Under  the PDMC 70.04 lakh hectare area is covered under Micro Irrigation.
2. ii) Watershed  Development  Component:  The  Watershed  Management  Division  of Department  of  Land    Resources  (DoLR)  implements  a  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme  namely  Watershed  Development  Component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana  for  development  of  rainfed/degraded  lands  in  the  country.  As per the information received from the States /UTs,  under WDC-PMKSY 1.0, about 6.56  lakh  water  harvesting  structures  have  been  created  /  rejuvenated,  an additional  area  of  about  14.54   lakh  hectare  has  been  brought  under  protective irrigation,  and  about  31.94  lakh  farmers   have  been  benefited   from  2015-16  to 2021-22.
3. iii) Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme  (AIBP):  Major and Medium Irrigation projects including National projects are being implemented by the Department of Water  Resources  River  Development  &  Ganga  Rejuvenation  (DoWR,  RD&GR). Under  AIBP  during  2016-17,  ninety-nine  (99)  on-going  Major/Medium  irrigation projects (7 phases), in the country having balance estimated cost of Rs.77,595 cr. (Central  Assistance-Rs.31342.50  crore  and  State  Share-Rs.46253  crore)  were prioritised  in  consultation  with  States  for  completion  in  phases.  Out  of  these projects, AIBP works of 50 prioritized projects have been reported to be completed.
4. iv) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): NMSA is one of the Missions within the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which aims to evolve and implement strategies to make Indian agriculture more resilient to the changing climate and to sustain increase in production.
- v) Soil  Health  Card  (SHC):  Government  is  implementing  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC) scheme  since  2015  to  provide  soil  test  based  fertilizer  use  recommendations periodically to the farmers in the country. Soil health card provides nutrient status of the soil along with prescription about balanced and integrated use of inorganic and  organic  fertilizers  to  maintain  good  soil  health  that  results  in  increase  in production Soil health Cards/Soil Health Management Scheme is being implemented for which an expenditure of Rs. 1335.68 crore has been incurred so far for various activities for improving soil health and its fertility. Till now 22.71 crore grid based soil health cards have been distributed to farmers under the scheme.
6. vi) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana  (RKVY): RKVY scheme was initiated in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors

by allowing states to choose their own agriculture and allied sector development activities as per the district/state agriculture plan. The Scheme has been revamped as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana - Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for implementation from 2017-18.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Q. No. 2276 due for answer on 20/12/2022

Details of Agricultural /Cultivable Land in the country from 2013-14 to 2018-19 (latest available)

(in thousand Hectare)

| Year    | Agricultural land   |
|---------|---------------------|
| 2013-14 | 1,81,849            |
| 2014-15 | 1,81,829            |
| 2015-16 | 1,81,603            |
| 2016-17 | 1,81,133            |
| 2017-18 | 1,81,064            |
| 2018-19 | 1,80,888            |

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

## Annexure referred in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Q. No. 2276 due for answer on 20/12/2022

State / UT-wise Details of Agricultural Land in the country from 2016-17 to 2018-19 (latest available)

(in Thousand Hectare)

| State /UTs        | 2016-17   | 2017-18   | 2018-19   |
|-------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH    | 9003      | 8999      | 8997      |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 423       | 424       | 424       |
| ASSAM             | 3337      | 3302      | 3305      |
| BIHAR             | 6572      | 6573      | 6573      |
| CHHATTISGARH      | 5558      | 5562      | 5570      |
| GOA               | 197       | 197       | 197       |
| GUJARAT           | 12661     | 12661     | 12661     |
| HARYANA           | 3744      | 3759      | 3817      |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 813       | 816       | 816       |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 1078      | 1081      | 1091      |
| JHARKHAND         | 4367      | 4323      | 4319      |
| KARNATAKA         | 12784     | 12777     | 12830     |
| KERALA            | 2247      | 2246      | 2235      |
| MADHYA PRADESH    | 17231     | 17207     | 17121     |
| MAHARASHTRA       | 20748     | 20751     | 20719     |
| MANIPUR           | 476       | 453       | 448       |
| MEGHALAYA         | 1015      | 1013      | 1011      |
| MIZORAM           | 367       | 367       | 367       |
| NAGALAND          | 694       | 694       | 678       |
| ODISHA            | 6690      | 6745      | 6675      |
| PUNJAB            | 4237      | 4235      | 4233      |
| RAJASTHAN         | 25496     | 25493     | 25484     |
| SIKKIM            | 97        | 97        | 97        |
| TAMIL NADU        | 8110      | 8110      | 8109      |
| TELANGANA         | 6752      | 6770      | 6767      |
| TRIPURA           | 271       | 271       | 270       |
| UTTARAKHAND       | 1546      | 1550      | 1548      |
| UTTAR PRADESH     | 18848     | 18826     | 18775     |
| WEST BENGAL       | 5633      | 5625      | 5615      |
| A&N ISLAND        | 28        | 28        | 28        |
| CHANDIGARH        | 1         | 1         | 1         |
| D & N HAVELI      | 24        | 24        | 20        |
| DAMAN & DIU       | 3         | 3         | 3         |
| DELHI             | 53        | 53        | 53        |
| LAKSHADWEEP       | 2         | 2         | 3         |
| PUDUCHERRY        | 29        | 29        | 28        |
| ALL INDIA         | 1,81,133  | 1,81,064  | 1,80,888  |

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

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