Star News Agency
New Delhi. As per studies conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), it has been concluded that soil erosion is one of the factors responsible for the decline in agricultural output across the country. The major causes of soil erosion are deforestation, overgrazing, forest encroachment, shifting cultivation, extension of cultivation to marginal lands, development activities like mining and road construction, urbanization, etc.
This information was given by Prof. K.V. Thomas, Minister of State for Agriculture in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. He said that the ICAR has also developed several location specific bio-engineering measures for development of degraded land. Based on these findings/recommendations, Ministry of Agriculture is implementing various Watershed Development Programmes, namely; National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA), Soil Conservation in the Catchments of River Valley Project and Flood Prone River (RVP&FPR), Reclamation and Development of Alkali & Acid Soils (RADAS) and Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA) for prevention of soil erosion, land degradation and sustaining foodgrain production across the country. Ministry of Rural Development is also implementing a major Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) for restoring ecological balance by conserving and developing degraded lands in the country.
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