What is the main cause of land degradation in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh? How can it be checked?
Answers
in gujarat rajasthan and madhya pradesh the main cause of land degradation is over grazing
planting shelter belts and proper grazing plans for animals help in reducing the problem
Main causes of land degradation in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh:
The act of the top soil getting washed away or eroded due to the protective layer being destroyed as a result of which the soil turns barren or unusable for hitherto purposes of cultivation etc is known as land degradation.
This phenomenon is very common in large parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh due to various reasons like overgrazing, over mining , over irrigation and water logging leading to increase of salinity or/and alkalinity of the soil. This poses serious threat to agricultural production and puts the food distribution in jeopardy, leading to unemployment, migration, loss of habitat and ecological imbalance.
Combating such a large scale problem requires a problem focused approach on all levels of immediate, short term and long term procedures, investment, technology development and up to date policies. In specific terms of these three aforementioned states, the problem can be tackled by,
- Using economically feasible techniques like limiting over mining and over grazing and coming up with alternative solutions that inhibit these causal factors .
- Awareness of the importance and implications of such a practise from grass root levels.
- As more agricultural areas that are arid and semi arid cause such problem, tackling these first should be made priority .
- National policies involving water harvesting, watershed management, artificial drainage system, etc., should be implemented widely.
- Afforestation as a method of combat to replenish the nutrients and provide an extra layer of protection. Example planting thorny shrubs and bushes over sand dunes in Rajasthan, planting shelter beds etc.