Question.
What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?
(NCERT class 12 geography, India People and Economy, Chapter-5. Land Resources and Agriculture)
Answer.
After the Green Revolution, modern agriculture has serious environmental problems with land resources in India due to faulty farming practices. Defective farming practices include over-irrigation, water logging, mono-cropping pattern, use of chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
Following are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India:
- Degradation of the quality of land resources due to salinization and alkalinization.
- Reduction of soil quality due to Mono-cropping practices and excess use of chemical fertilizers
- Concentrations of toxic chemicals in the soil profile.
- Depletion of soil resources due to soil erosion.
Faulty agricultural practices such as over-irrigation and waterlogging are leading to soil alkalinization and salinization. Due to over-irrigation, evaporation also increases, due to which the salts present in the water remain in the soil and gradually the soil becomes salinized, due to which the soil fertility decreases.
Soil alkalinization is a major problem in states like Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh leading to declining land quality.
Overuse of chemicals, fertilizers, and pesticides also leads to degradation of soil quality and increases the concentration of toxic chemicals in the soil profile. Due to this, the soil becomes hard and it reduces water-retaining capacity, as well as a decrease in micro-organisms such as earthworms, which reduces crop productivity. This type of environmental problem is being seen all over India.
Mono cropping (growing only one crop) and not following proper crop rotation practices lead to the depletion of a particular group of nutrients in the soil. Not growing leguminous crops (pulses) at least once in an agricultural year reduces the process of natural fertilization such as nitrogen fixation.
Soil erosion leads to the depletion of land resources as well as the loss of soil fertility. The main cause of soil erosion is sudden floods in wet areas. The wind is the main cause of soil erosion in arid and semi-arid regions. Mining and deforestation in forested and mountainous areas cause severe soil erosion.
Sustainable agriculture practices are needed to overcome the environmental problems of land resources in India. Sustainable agriculture practices include:
- Use of efficient irrigation techniques such as drip and sprinkle irrigation methods.
- Optimum use of chemical fertilization.
- Use of green manure and bio-manure.
- Using Crop rotation practices
- Prevent soil erosion by afforestation, contour binding, etc.
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