Lok Sabha Question No. 2474 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-09
Subject: Area of Barren Land
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Poonam (Mahajan) Vajendla Rao

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2474

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 9 th  MARCH, 2021

## AREA OF BARREN LAND

2474 . SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

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

- (a) the area of barren land in hectares in the country, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has any action plan to convert barren land into arable land in the country; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

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

- (a):    As per the  Land use Statistics for the year 2016-17 (latest available), State-wise / UT-wise area of barren and unculturable land in the country is given at annexure.

(b)  &  (c):      Yes  sir.  The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  has  developed location  specific  bio-engineering  soil  &  water  conservation  measure,  land  management techniques,  soil  reclamation  measures  for  saline,  alkali,  waterlogged  and  acid  soils, selection  of  suitable  crop  including  agroforestry  interventions  to  reclaim  and  develop barren lands. While  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,  subsurface 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.

Further, Department  of Land  Resources  (DoLR)  implements  Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) for development of rainfed/degraded lands. 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  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Ladakh)  during  the period 2009-10 to 2014-15 under erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). IWMP was amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana in 2015-16.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Q. No. 2474 due for answer on 9.3.2021

State-wise / UT-wise area of barren and unculturable land for the year 2016-17

| Sr. No.   | STATES / UTs      | Area of barren & unculturable land (in hectare)   |
|-----------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | ANDHRA PRADESH    | 1345882                                           |
| 2.        | ARUNACHAL PRADESH | 37369                                             |
| 3.        | ASSAM             | 1191251                                           |
| 4.        | BIHAR             | 431715                                            |
| 5.        | CHHATTISGARH      | 292655                                            |
| 6.        | GOA               |                                                   |
| 7.        | GUJARAT           | 2551500                                           |
| 8.        | HARYANA           | 127923                                            |
| 9.        | HIMACHAL PRADESH  | 778998                                            |
| 10.       | JAMMU & KASHMIR   | 303691                                            |
| 11.       | JHARKHAND         | 583322                                            |
| 12.       | KARNATAKA         | 793013                                            |
| 13.       | KERALA            | 11780                                             |
| 14.       | MADHYA PRADESH    | 1343518                                           |
| 15.       | MAHARASHTRA       | 1822100                                           |
| 16.       | MANIPUR           | 940                                               |
| 17.       | MEGHALAYA         | 128866                                            |
| 18.       | MIZORAM           | 6301                                              |
| 19.       | NAGALAND          | 2496                                              |
| 20.       | ODISHA            | 1031000                                           |
| 21.       | PUNJAB            | 42658                                             |
| 22.       | RAJASTHAN         | 2391015                                           |
| 23.       | SIKKIM            |                                                   |
| 24.       | TAMIL NADU        | 457671                                            |
| 25.       | TELANGANA         | 607457                                            |
| 26.       | TRIPURA           |                                                   |
| 27.       | UTTARAKHAND       | 228091                                            |
| 28.       | UTTAR PRADESH     | 444864                                            |
| 29.       | WEST BENGAL       | 9606                                              |
| 30.       | A&N ISLAND        | 1639                                              |
| 31.       | CHANDIGARH        |                                                   |
| 32.       | D & N HAVELI      | 84                                                |
| 33.       | DAMAN & DIU       |                                                   |
| 34.       | DELHI             | 17708                                             |
| 35.       | LAKSHADWEEP       |                                                   |
| 36.       | PUDUCHERRY        | 125                                               |
| ALL INDIA | ALL INDIA         | 16985238                                          |

Source: DES Ministry of Agriculture & FW

Blank space denotes not available or no reporting of data from the States/UTs

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