Lok Sabha Question No. 2404 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-09
Subject: Barren Agrarian Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Mahabali Singh, Ramcharan Bohra

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2404

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9 TH  MARCH, 2021

## BARREN AGRARIARN LAND

2404 . SHRI MAHABALI SINGH: SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA:

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

- (a) whether it is  a  fact  that  a  large  portion  of  agrarian  lands in  various  parts of  the country including Rajasthan and Bihar are lying barren;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and area of such lands and the reasons therefor, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has worked out any policy or scheme with the consultation of States  to  convert  barren  land  to  agrarian  land/fertile  land  particularly  in  Rajasthan  and Bihar during the last three years;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  amount  of  funds  allocated/released  and  used  for  the same year-wise; and
- (e)  the  area  of  barren  land  that  has  been  converted  into  agricultural  land  in  Bihar  and Rajasthan with the help of the above work done and the funds allocated/ released for it?

## ANSWER

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

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

(a) and (b): As per publication on Land Use Statistics for the year 2016-17 (latest available), the  State-wise  details  of  barren  &  unculturable  land  including  Rajasthan  and  Bihar  is  at Annexure. Barren & unculturable land includes all land covered by mountains, deserts etc., which cannot be brought under cultivation except at an exorbitant cost.

(c) to (e): 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 Watershed Development Component (WDC) of  Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana  (PMKSY) for development of rainfed/degraded lands. Department of Land Resources (DoLR) has sanctioned, 8214 watershed development projects covering an area of about 39.07 million hectare  in 28 States (except Goa)  [now 27 States and UTs of J & K and Ladakh) including Rajasthan and Bihar  during the period 200910  to  2014-15  under  Integrated  Watershed  Management  Programme  (IWMP).  IWMP  was amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana in  2015-16.  The  activities undertaken  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.

Since  2009  -10,  an  amount  of  Rs.19826.217  crore  (Rs.2984.596  crore  to  Rajasthan  and Rs.239.677  crore  to  Bihar)  has  been  released  as  Central  share  to  States/UTs  (as  on 28.02.2021). As  per  information  received  from  the  States/UTs,  since  2014-15  to  2020-21 (upto Q3, 2020-21), 7.09 lakh water harvesting structures have been created / rejuvenated. An additional area of 15.17 lakh ha has been brought under protective irrigation. The number of farmers benefited is 32.44 lakh during the said period.

Apart from this, to reclaim and develop barren lands Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)  has  developed  location  specific  bio-engineering  based  soil  &  water  conservation measures,  land  management  techniques  and  soil  reclamation  protocols  for  saline,  alkali, waterlogged  and  acidic  soils.  ICAR  also  gives  focus  on  the  development  of  the  tolerant varieties  to  better  withstand  these  odds  and  also  the  selection  of  suitable  crops  including agroforestry interventions to reclaim and develop barren lands. Besides, the Council through Natural  Resource  Management  Institutes  and  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendras  imparts  trainings  and organises on farm and field level demonstrations to develop awareness amongst farmers on all these aspects.

The  National  Action  Plan  for  achieving  Land  Degradation  Neutrality  Targets  have  been prepared. Various  other  schemes  like  Green  India Mission,  fund  accumulated  under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Nagar Van Yojana etc. also help in checking degradation and restoration of forest landscape. Government also promote tree 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.  The  Integrated  Watershed Management  Programme  (IWMP),  now  amalgamated  as  the  Watershed  Development Component  of  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (WDC-PMKSY)  also  aims  to bringing the wastelands into cultivation.

## Annexure referred in part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 2404 due for reply on 09/03/2021

State-wise details of  barren & unculturable land in the country for the year  2016-17 (latest available)

Thousand Hectares

| STATES/UTs                | Barren and Unculturable Land   |
|---------------------------|--------------------------------|
| ANDHRA PRADESH            | 1346                           |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH         | 37                             |
| ASSAM                     | 1191                           |
| BIHAR                     | 432                            |
| CHHATTISGARH              | 293                            |
| GOA                       |                                |
| GUJARAT                   | 2552                           |
| HARYANA                   | 128                            |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH          | 779                            |
| JAMMU & KASHMIR           | 304                            |
| JHARKHAND                 | 583                            |
| KARNATAKA                 | 793                            |
| KERALA                    | 12                             |
| MADHYA PRADESH            | 1344                           |
| MAHARASHTRA               | 1822                           |
| MANIPUR                   | 1                              |
| MEGHALAYA                 | 129                            |
| MIZORAM                   | 6                              |
| NAGALAND                  | 2                              |
| ODISHA                    | 1031                           |
| PUNJAB                    | 43                             |
| RAJASTHAN                 | 2391                           |
| SIKKIM                    |                                |
| TAMIL NADU                | 458                            |
| TELANGANA                 | 607                            |
| TRIPURA                   |                                |
| UTTARAKHAND               | 228                            |
| UTTAR PRADESH             | 445                            |
| WEST BENGAL               | 10                             |
| ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS | 2                              |
| CHANDIGARH                |                                |
| DADRA& N HAVELI           | 0                              |
| DAMAN & DIU               |                                |
| DELHI                     | 18                             |
| LAKSHADWEEP               |                                |
| PUDUCHERRY                | 0                              |
| ALL INDIA                 | 16985                          |

Note:'0'  relates  to  the  area  below  500  Hectares    and  Blank  space  denotes  not available or no reporting of data from the States/Uts

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

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