The Ministry of Rural Development has issued the fifth edition of the Wastelands Atlas, a comprehensive document that provides key insights into the condition of wastelands across the country. This edition, prepared in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Department of Space, sheds light on several critical factors influencing land degradation and its impact on various regions.
Significance of Wastelands Atlas
The Wastelands Atlas is a crucial resource that offers an extensive geospatial representation of wastelands. As India grapples with mounting stress on its lands – a consequence of exceeding their carrying capacity – this atlas provides valuable data to navigate the crisis.
By offering an accurate picture of land degradation, the Atlas aids in driving land development initiatives aimed at reclaiming and reutilizing wastelands. These efforts could lead to a significant reduction in wastelands, driving their productive use and contributing to the overall development and sustainability of the country.
Key Findings from the Wastelands Atlas
The fifth edition of the Wastelands Atlas revealed a decline in wasteland areas across various categories – dense scrub lands, marshy lands, sandy zones, and degraded pastures. This positive trend can be attributed to concerted efforts in sustainable land management.
The Atlas also showed that states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and West Bengal have witnessed considerable improvements in wasteland conditions. In these regions, a significant portion of the once-barren lands has been transformed into croplands, plantations, and industrial areas.
| State | Land Transformation |
|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Wasteland to Croplands |
| Bihar | Wasteland to Plantations |
| Uttar Pradesh | Wasteland to Industrial Areas |
| Andhra Pradesh | Wasteland to Croplands |
| Mizoram | Wasteland to Plantations |
| Madhya Pradesh | Wasteland to Industrial Areas |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Wasteland to Croplands |
| West Bengal | Wasteland to Plantations |
Understanding Wastelands
In the context of the Wastelands Atlas, wastelands refer to barren and uncultivated lands that remain unproductive or underutilized. These typically include degraded forests, overgrazed pastures, drought-stricken pastures, eroded valleys, hilly slopes, waterlogged marshy lands, barren land, and similar landscapes.
While these areas are often viewed as unproductive, the Atlas underscores the value in reclaiming these lands. Through sustainable practices and intervention programs, these once-degraded areas can be transformed, contributing significantly to the country’s economic and environmental sustainability.
