(a) whether despite implementation of a number of schemes, the physical progress
of development of degraded land has been rather slow;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government for development of
degraded land and success achieved during the first three years of the Tenth Five
Year
Plan?
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. RAGHUVANSH PRASAD SINGH)
(a)to(c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO
IN REPLY TO PARTS fat to (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 45
DUE FOR ANSWER ON 25.11.2005
(a) & (b) The Department of Land Resources is implementing 3 Area Development
Programmes in the country, namely Integrated Wastelands Development Programme
(IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme
(DDP) for development of non-forest wastelands, drought proofing and checking
desertification, on watershed basis. The treatment of wastelands is slow on account of
the extent of wastelands, available resources, the lengthy process of treatment and time
taken for mobilisation and involvement of the inhabitants of the area. According to the
Wasteland Atlas of India, published in 2000 by the Department of Land Resources in
collaboration with the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad using Remote
Sensing techniques, 638.5 lakh hectares of land has been delineated as wastelands in
India. Out of this 369.8 lakh hectares is treatable non-forest wastelands. These wastelands
are occurring in all the climatic regions of the country. DDP and DPAP are implemented in
blocks identified on certain scientific criteria by the Hanumantha Rao Committee in arid
and semi-arid/ dry sub-humid regions respectively. Part of the 369.8 lakh hectares of
wastelands are covered under these programmes. For the wastelands in the remaining
areas, IWDP is implemented. The Department of Land Resources has sanctioned 61.96
lakh hectares under IWDP projects, 106.765 lakh hectares under DPAP and 57.38 lakh
hectares under DDP projects for treatment, from 1.4.1995 till 31.3.2005, under the Guidelines
for Watershed Development,
(c) The Government has considerably increased the resources allocated for development
of degraded lands, and consequentially the number of projects sanctioned and the area
covered have also gone up considerably. During the first three years of the Tenth Five
Year Plan, 460 IWDP projects for treatment of 24.597 lakh hectares at a total cost of
Rs. 1475.82 crores, 7563 DPAP projects for treatment of 37.815 lakh hectares at a total
cost of Rs. 2268.90 crores and 4764 DDP projects for treatment of 23.82 lakh hectares
at a total cost of Rs. 1429.20 crores have been sanctioned. The project period is 5 years.
Funds to the tune of Rs. 2318.13 crores have been released under the 3 programmes for
on-going as well as new projects during the last three years. State-wise and programme-
wise number of projects sanctioned and area taken up for treatment during the last three
years are given in Annexure-I and release of funds for ongoing as well as new projects
are given in Annexure-II. During the current financial year, till date, 340 IWDP
projects, 3000 DPAP projects and 2000 DDP projects covering an area of 16.32 lakh
hectares, 15.00 lakh hectares Rs.B and 10.00 lakh hectares respectively have been
sanctioned for treatment at a total cost of Rs. 2479.08 crores. Impact assessment studies
carried out in 16 States have revealed that overall productivity of land has increased,
water table has gone up and there has been a significant positive impact on the overall
economic development of the inhabitants of the project areas.