(a) the total area of barren land ir. the country, State-wise;
(b) the details of projects implemented and the area of such land brought under cultivation
during each of the last three years and the current year, under various schemes, State-wise; and
(c) the amount of fund provision made therefor during the eleventh plan?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI C HANDRA SEKHAR SAHU)
(a) As per the Wastelands Atlas of India-2005 brought out by the Department of Land
Resources, Ministry of Rura 1 Development in collaboration with the National Remote Sensing
Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad using satellite imagery data, an area of 552.69 lakh ha. in the
country is estimated to be wastelands. The State-wise details on the extent of these wastelands
are at Arxiexure-I
(b) With the objective of banging the wastelands into productive use, the Department
of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development has been implementing three area development
programmes namely Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), Desert Development programme (DDP) and
Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) on watershed basis. During the last three
years, an area of 97.03 lakh ha. has been taken up for development under these programmes. The
State-wise details of area taken up during the last three years and current year are given at
Annexure-II
(c ) An outlay of Rs. 15,359 Crores has been indicated by the Planning Commission for the
watershed programmes of the department during the eleventh plan.