Day 4 – Q 4.Examine the economic implications of soil erosion in India. Also discuss the ways that can address soil erosion.

4. Examine the economic implications of soil erosion in India. Also discuss the ways that can address soil erosion.

भारत में मिट्टी के कटाव के आर्थिक प्रभाव की जांच करें। मिट्टी के कटाव को संबोधित करने के तरीकों पर भी चर्चा करें।

Approach

Introduction – You can write about mentioning what is soil and what is soil erosion. You can also mention about any data of soil erosion in India.

Body –

• Write about economic implication of soil erosion in India
• Write the methods to check soil erosion.

Conclusion – write suitable conclusion.

Introduction

Soil is the top layer of earth surface made up of organic and inorganic materials. Soil erosion is movement of soil from one place to another due to wind, water or some other erosion agents. According to a 2015 report of Indian institute of remote sensing, the estimated amount of soil erosion that occurred in India was 147 million hectares.

Body

Economic effects of soil erosion

• More budget allocation – Due to soil erosion, there is more budget allocation by focussing on soil health card scheme.

• GDP losses due to reduced productivity – Every year India loses 68 billion rupees due to soil erosion.

• Hike in food prices commodity – This happens because of less yield

• Decrease in farmer income – soil erosion leads to less yield which in turn leads to decrease in farmer’s income

• Imbalance in fiscal deficit – Decrease in farmer’s income yield to loan waiver for them which in turn create fiscal deficit for government.

• Soil erosion reduces fertility of soil so agriculture production reduced. It will increase hunger and poverty . With increased hunger and poverty government spending on health need to be increased. Otherwise fund can be utilised somewhere else.

• Large scale soil erosion may lead to ravine topography like Chambal river and land becomes waste land.

• Due to soil erosion top layer organic matter is lost so water holding capacity of soil is reduced. It may lead to reduced water table.

Ways to address the soil erosion

• Careful tilling – Since tilling destroys the top soil, so less tilling will preserve this

• Mulching – It increases humus in the soil, which preserve the soil erosion

• Contour bunding and tillage – Terrace farming with contour bunding is useful for marginal sloping lands.

• Proper irrigation technique- sprinkling etc. Can save the soil erosion

• Shelter belts – these reduce wind speed and prevent soil erosion.

• Afforestation – Tree roots bind with the soil which in turn reduces soil erosion.

• Check over grazing – since due to over – grazing normally top soil is lost. Thus this will help in preventing soil erosion.

• Increasing mangrove cover to prevent soil erosion in coastal regions.

Conclusion

According to report of national centre for coastal research, India lost one – third of its coastline due to soil erosion. Various government initiative like Vanotsva, soil health card are steps in right direction to save the gift of nature

Best Answer – Ram

Soil is top layer of earth surface made of organic and inorganic materials. Soil erosion is movement of soil from one place to another due to wind, water or some other erosion agents.

Economic effect of soil erosion:-

1. Soil erosion reduces fertility of soil so agriculture production reduced. It will increase hunger and poverty one of the SDG to be achieved by 2030 will be missed.
   2. With increased hunger and poverty govt spending on health need to be increased. Otherwise fund can be utilised somewhere else.
2. Around 50% of population engaged in agriculture related activities so will have negative effect on other economic activities like farm related machinery, seed industries etc.
3. spending capacity of farmers reduced so may lead to unemployment in other sectors.
   5.large scale soil erosion may lead to ravine topography like Chambal river and land becomes waste land. 

6.Due to soil erosion top layer organic matter is lost so water holding capacity of soil is reduced. It may lead to reduced water table.

Methods to address soil erosion.

1.To stop man made soil erosion: –

1.1 stop deforestation and increase forest cover.

1.2 stop over grazing

1.3 stop illegal activities like mining in eco-sensitive regions.

1.4 planned urbanisation so that water drained through proper channels instead of eroding soil of surrounding fields.

2. To stop natural soil erosion: –

2.1 control floods in hilly regions by building check dams.

2.2 adopting step farming in sloppy areas.

2.3 increasing mangrove cover to prevent soil erosion in coastal regions.

2.4 after harvesting cover top layer by grass to avoid erosion by wind.

As India is still a developing country with huge dependence on agriculture. According to multi poverty index one third of its population is still below poverty line. So to ensure food security and raise living standard soil must be conserved.