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Essay on Wastelands
Essay # 1. Definition of Wasteland:
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Wastelands are the degraded and unutilized lands except current fallows due to different constraints. Poor land practices have led to malnutrition and decline in production capacity of the soil. It is estimated that in wastelands the biomass production is less than 20 per cent of its overall potential.
It includes areas affected by water logging, sheet and gully erosion, ravine, riverine lands, shifting cultivation, salinity and alkalinity, wind erosion, shifting sand dunes, extreme moisture deficiency, coastal sand dunes etc. These degraded lands are ecologically unstable with almost complete loss of top soil and are unsuitable for cultivation due to decline in their quality and productivity.
The term wasteland designates various types of unutilized land. It also indicates small pieces of land, usually on less fertile tract, which fail to yield a return to the farmers. It is also defined as the land which is lying uninhabited, uncultivated, land left after some use or land which is no longer serving any purpose.
The most widely accepted definition of wasteland is the degraded lands which can be brought under vegetative cover with reasonable efforts and which are currently underutilized and the land which is deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil management or on account of natural causes.
Essay # 2. Categories of Wasteland:
In general, wastelands may be put under two categories:
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i. Cultivable wasteland
ii. Uncultivable wasteland.
i. Cultivable Wasteland:
The land which is capable or has potential for the development of vegetative cover and not being used due to different constraints of varying degrees such as erosion, water-logging, salt effects etc.
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ii. Uncultivable Wasteland:
The land which cannot be developed for vegetative cover e.g. rocky areas, deserts and snow-covered glacial areas.
Essay # 3. Assessment of Wasteland:
As early as mid-sixties scientists working on wasteland management realized the need to categorize the wasteland in accordance with their intrinsic characteristics and causative factors. Among various characteristics, data on soil texture, soil depth, pH values, slope, erosion status and other inhibiting factors like salts, water-logging, flooding, rockiness, stoniness etc. are essential. Complete inventory of reasons, responsible for lands lying waste, were assessed by collecting information from various sources. They serve as points for assessment of any wasteland.
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i. Poor fertility of the soil due to rocky, gravely, sandy, saline, alkali, water-logging, shallowness and eroded nature of the soil
ii. Steep and undulated slopes
iii. Shifting cultivation
iv. Frequent droughts
v. Lack of irrigation facilities
vi. Frequent submergence and flooding hazards
vii. Lack of resources
viii. Poor economic conditions
ix. Lack of labour during peak periods
x. Uneconomical return under cultivation,
xi. Certain domestic and legal difficulties
xii. Absentee landlord’s holdings
Essay # 4. Mapping Techniques of Wasteland:
Through mapping, the findings of these questions are recorded in a pictorial form under a specified scale. These maps will serve anyone who wants to study about a particular area of wasteland or to utilize it for some purpose or other. The following important mapping systems are available in India: conventional, aerial photo-interpretation and remote sensing. The first system can be stated as a real time system where as the latter two are the tools to improve the time and cost efficiency.
Conventional System:
It is based primarily on ground transect using suitable base maps for plotting boundaries. For detailed investigations, the surveyor transverses from field to field with a base map to collect the soil and land-use data after closely spaced field observations to identify and map wasteland.
This approach is very effective but very time consuming. One field surveyor can collect information from only 16,000 ha per annum. For mapping the wastelands on regional basis, the reconnaissance type of survey could be adopted with Survey of India topographical maps at 1:50,000 scale as base material. Detailed data on texture, depth, profile, morphology, physical and chemical characteristics are gathered. The ownership details and other socioeconomic factors have, however, to be collected by actual visits to the village and local enquiries.
Aerial Photo-Interpretation (API):
Black and white panchromatic aerial photographs of 1:25,000 scale and smaller are very suitable for wastelands mapping. False colour APs may improve the level of mapping as far as wastelands are concerned since the cropped lands, orchards and forested areas can be segregated more efficiently with their varied colour manifestation.
The derived map could be at a semi-detailed level. However, the data on socio-economic factors, ownership details and other relevant information have to be collected by field visits personal enquiries and verification of village records only.
Remote Sensing:
The satellite era ushers new scopes in land use mapping. The periodicity and larger perspective view have their own advantages in mapping wastelands and monitoring the changes using satellite data in a big way involving several organizations. Mapping with satellite data is quicker and cost-effective as compared to any other methods.
Ability to effectively monitor the changes is the special advantage in this system because of the periodicity of the data. It is expected to gain the accuracy of 74.1 to 95.3 per cent. Ownership details cannot be included in the remote sensing data unless resorted to other methods such as grid survey, revenue records etc.
Essay # 5. Historical Background of Wasteland Development in India:
1. CAZRI:
The first step towards a systematic effort to tackle the problem of drought and desertification was the establishment of Research Centre at Jodhpur in 1952 to carry out research on certain core needs of desert areas such as sand-dune stabilization, shelter-belt plantation, afforestation, etc. In 1959, the entire responsibility of research on arid areas was entrusted to the Centre which was then designated as Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI).
2. RWP:
Rural Works Programme (RWP) was launched in 1970-71 with the object of creating assets designed to reduce the severity of drought in affected areas. In all, 54 districts in the country together with parts of another 18 districts contiguous to them were identified as drought-prone. The programme covered 12 per cent of country’s population and nearly one- fifth of the area in the country.
3. CRIDA:
For the purpose of dry land farming technology, All India Coordinated Research Project for Dry land Agriculture, later renamed as the Central Research Institute for Dry land Agriculture (CRIDA), was set up. It focuses on soil management, water harvesting, improved agronomic practices, drought-resistant crops etc.
4. DPAP:
The Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) is one of the areas development programmes launched by the Government in 1973-74 to tackle the special problems faced by those fragile areas. The programme was implemented on Watershed basis and covered 13 States viz. AP, Bihar, Gujarat, HP, J&K, Karnataka, MP, Maharashtra, Orissa, TN, Rajasthan, UP and WB.
5. DDP:
On the recommendations of the National Commission on Agriculture in its Interim Report (1974) and the Final Report (1976), the Desert Development Programme (DDP) was started in the year 1977-78. The programme was started both in the hot desert areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, and the cold desert areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. From 1995-96, the coverage has been extended to few more districts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It focuses on land development, water resource development and afforestation/pasture development.
6. NWDB:
National Wasteland Development Board (NWDB) was established in 1985 under the Ministry of Environment and Forests mainly to tackle the problem of degradation of lands, restoration of ecology and to meet the growing demands of fuel wood and fodder at the national level. During the Seventh Five Year Plan, the strategy adopted by the National Wasteland Development Board emphasized more on tree planting activities rather than community participation for wasteland development.
7. IWDP:
Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP) scheme has been under implementation since 1989-90. From 1st April, 1995, the scheme is being implemented on watershed basis under the common guidelines for Watershed Development. The Scheme also helps in generation of employment in rural areas besides enhancing people’s participation in the wastelands development programmes at all stages.
The major activities taken up under the scheme are soil and moisture conservation, planting and sowing of multi-purpose trees, shrubs, grasses, legumes, pasture land development, encouraging natural regeneration, promotion of agro-forestry and horticulture, wood substitution and fuel-wood conservation measures, dissemination of technology, training and extension, encouraging people’s participation etc. 247 IWDP projects in 25 states in a total outlay of Rs.778.12 crore to treat total project area of 15.98 lakh hectare are at various stages of implementation.
8. DoLR:
Govt, of India had created the Department of Wasteland Development during July, 1992 under the Ministry of Rural Development and the National Wasteland Development Board was placed under it. It has been subsequently reorganized and renamed as Department of Land Resources (DoLR), with a broader mandate.
DoLR has been responsible for mainly development of wastelands in non-forest areas in totality by involving local people at every stage of development. It aims at creating a scenario where the Government acts as a facilitator and the people at the grass root level become the real executioner of the programme.
9. TDET:
Technology support is extremely vital for the success of a land based programme, especially in the development of wastelands. Realising this, a central sector scheme namely Technology Development, Extension and Training Scheme (TDET) was launched during 1993-94 to develop suitable technologies for the reclamation of wastelands for sustained production of food, fuel-wood, fodder etc. The Scheme is being implemented through ICAR, State Agricultural Universities, DRDAs and Government institutions having adequate institutional framework and organizational back-up.
10. IPS:
Investment Promotional Scheme (IPS) was launched in 1994-95 in order to stimulate involvement of corporate sectors and financial institutions etc. for the flow of funds for development of non-forest wastelands. The projects promoted by Nationalized Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Land Development Banks and Cooperative Banks are eligible for promotional subsidy of Department of Land Resources under the Scheme. The scheme, which has now been restructured and the guidelines revised, has a major thrust for development of degraded lands belonging to small and marginal farmers including SCs/STs.
11. IWMP:
Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) is a modified programme of erstwhile Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) of the Department of Land Resources. This consolidation is for optimum use of resources, sustainable outcomes and integrated planning. The scheme was launched during 2009-10.
The programme is being implemented as per Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects 2008. The main objectives of the IWMP are to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water.
The outcomes are prevention of soil erosion, regeneration of natural vegetation, rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground water table. This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.
12. SLEM:
Sustainable Land and Ecosystem Management (SLEM) Programme is a joint initiative of the Government of India and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) under the latter’s Country Partnership Programme (CPP). The objective of the SLEM programme is to promote sustainable land management and use of biodiversity as well as maintain the capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services while taking into account climate change.