BHUBANESWAR: Is desertification process in Orissa already on? The answer appears to be yes if one goes by the latest report of Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad that has bracketed Orissa among top five States facing “land degradation and desertification.” For the first time, a national level spatial inventory has been carried out for the entire country giving information on various land degradation processes and their severity.
Orissa comes next to the Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Maharashtra having high proportion of land undergoing degradation. The study reveals that 105.48 million ha area of the country is undergoing processes of land degradation (32.07p.c. of the total geographic area of the country). Area undergoing desertification is 81.4 mha.
The dominant processes of land degradation, water erosion, vegetal degradation, wind erosion, salinisation or alkalisation, water logging, frost heaving, frost shattering and mass movement have been deciphered and mapped using satellite data. Orissa has about 54,69,336 ha of degraded land, more than that of geographically bigger states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. Orissa’s degradable land mass constitutes 5.18 per cent of total geographical area of India.
Land degradation
Water erosion is most pronounced process of land degradation and desertification. Water erosion is witnessed in area of 32,06,507 ha of land of the State, which ranks close to States like Rajasthan. Only Maharashtra and Gujarat having more area are categorised under water erosion table. Another major feature relating to Orissa is that it has more area getting waterlogged than any other State in the country. It indicates that natural drains have been gradually blocked. “This is an ominous sign. Rajasthan and Gujarat have traditionally been known for having vast arid zones. Moreover, Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir is identified as a cold desert. Then comes Maharashtra and Orissa.
Land degradation and desertification indicators suggest these two States have their huge task cut out,” said Richard Mahapatra, a New Delhi-based expert on developmental issues. In 2006, Sambalpur-based Water Initiative of Orissa had come out with research paper on desertification indicators. The paper had then created quite a furore in administrative circle, which was reluctant to accept it. “The latest findings have only vindicated our stand. We had then stirred up policymakers saying Orissa would become totally barren in 150 years. Our research say in just 13 years, from 1991-92 to 2004-05, severely degraded land in the State has increased by 136 per cent, barren land has increased by 69 per cent and land converted to non-agricultural uses has increased by 34 per cent,” WIO Convenor Ranjan Panda said.
Pointing out that desertification would impact on the livelihood of millions of people, Mr. Panda said it was estimated that 29 lakh hectares of land had already turned barren.
Source: The Hindu
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