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9. Other Measures of Soil Conservation


The government of India has been attempting to check the soil erosion through out the planning period. The following steps can go a long way in reducing the rate of soil erosion.


(i) Construction of small dams across the tributaries of rivers in their upper reaches to control floods and soil erosion.


Table 6.4 Salinity Affected Areas in the Major States of India


States

Area (in lakh hectares)

Uttar Pradesh

12.95

Punjab

12.25

Gujarat

12.14

West Bengal

8.50

Rajasthan

7.28

Maharashtra

5.34

Haryana

5.26

Karnataka

4.04

Odisha

4.04

Madhya Pradesh

2.24

Andhra Pradesh

0.42

Total

74.46


(ii) Lining of canals to stop seepage of water which leads to waterlogging.


(iii) Solving the problem of waterlogging by improving the surface and vertical drainage.


(iv) Formation of windbreak and shelter belts in arid and semi arid regions.


(v) Increasing use of organic and compost manure.


(vi) Popularising the application of cowdung and green manure.


(vii) Conversion of human waste and city garbage into manures.


(viii) Scientific rotation of crops.


(ix) Filling up gullies and forming terraces along the slopes.


(x) Levelling of ravines and planting of trees and grasses in the slopes.


(xi) Check on shifting cultivation and conversion of Jhum lands into sedentary agriculture.


(xii) Promotion of afforestation in the degraded soils.

(xiii) Adopting the techniques of sustainable agriculture.


(xiv) To educate public about the adverse effects of soil erosion through seminars, conferences, and workshops in the regions of degraded soils.