(a) whether as per a United Nations Organisation (UNO) report, dry land is
increasing rapidly in the country;
(b) if so, the details of the findings thereof;
(c) the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(d) the remedial measures taken by the Government in view of the food security
situation in the country?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD
PROCESSING INDUSTRIES AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) to (d): A report of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD, 2011), suggests that drylands in India are becoming more vulnerable to
desertification processes due to high population pressure on land and water
resources. However, there is no evidence of any significant change in dryland areas
in the country.
With a view to prevent soil erosion, land degradation and to improve productivity
of dryland/rainfed areas, various watershed programmes are being implemented by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Rural Development. Special emphasis on
rainfed/dryland areas are accorded in all major programmes of the Ministry of
Agriculture. The details of the programmes are:
(A) Watershed Programmes
Ministry of Agriculture
1. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
2. Soil Conservation in the Catchments of River Valley Project and Flood Prone
River (RVP & FPR)
3. Watershed Development Project for Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA)
Ministry of Rural Development
4. Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)
(B) Other Major Programmes
1. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
2. Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA)
3. National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
4. National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
5. National Mission on Micro Irrigation (NMMI)
6 Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm & Maize(ISOPOM)
Research Projects on dryland agriculture are being implemented by Indian
Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) under the All India Coordinated Research
Project on Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA).