The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare responded to concerns about agricultural yield losses linked to human-induced land degradation. The Ministry stated that the Government has not undertaken an assessment of degraded agricultural land and its impact on crop productivity.
What happened (official response in a Rajya Sabha reply)
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur, the Government made two parallel points: (1) lack of a dedicated assessment connecting degradation with yield losses, and (2) reliance on mapping and technical measures for soil restoration, sustainable land management and climate-resilient agriculture.
Background and earlier position: land degradation evidence used by the Government
The Government cited the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (2021) published by the Space Applications Centre (ISRO). According to the Atlas, manmade desertification and land degradation covers 6.38 lakh ha in India as on 2018–19, with state-wise details provided in an annexure (including Maharashtra).
What changed now: what the Government reported and what it did not report
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