RAJASTHAN: India is witnessing an alarming rise in soil degradation, threatening its agricultural productivity, food security, and environmental sustainability. Soil, a vital resource supporting the livelihoods of millions of farmers and maintaining ecosystem balance, is under siege from various forms of degradation.
According to recent estimates, nearly 115 to 120 million hectares (Mha)—roughly 33% of the country’s total geographic area (TGA)—are affected by soil degradation, including water erosion, wind erosion, salinity, and vegetation loss.
This growing issue was discussed in detail by all stakeholders at the Climate Week organised by the New-Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) at its Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute in Nimli, Rajasthan.
N K Lenka, principal scientist and head, Soil Physics Division of ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Madhya Pradesh told TNIE on the sidelines of the event: “Out of 360 million hectares of total geographical area, 115 to 120 million hectares are degraded. This data was harmonised from different sources, including ISRO’s Satellite Application Centre (SAC), National Bureau of Soil Survey and Institute of Soil Science.
The parameters to categorise soil degradation are chemical and physical. For instance, in the case of chemical degradation, soil would have become acidic. Even if farmers apply loads of urea, the soil will give no produce. Our trials show in some locations, the soil quality came down by 10 times,” he said.
The latest Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India published by the SAC, which formed the basis for the assessment, reveals that water erosion is the most significant contributor, affecting 11.01% of India’s land. Other major processes include vegetation degradation (9.15%) and wind erosion (5.46%). These processes, compounded by deforestation, poor agricultural practices, and climate change, are particularly prevalent in semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions of the country.
The atlas also highlights the growing impact of desertification, with 83.69 Mha of dryland classified as undergoing this process, which has seen a cumulative increase of over 1 million hectares since 2003-05.
In addition to natural processes, human-induced activities, such as mining, overgrazing, and industrial pollution have further exacerbated the problem. States like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana are among the worst affected, with significant portions of their land showing severe degradation. Rajasthan alone, for example, has over 21 million hectares classified as degraded, largely due to wind erosion in its arid and semi-arid zones.
Soil degradation has far-reaching consequences on India’s agricultural sector, which contributes significantly to the national economy and provides employment to a large percentage of the population. The loss of topsoil and nutrients due to erosion has reduced the land’s ability to sustain crops, leading to lower yields and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events.
Sunita Narain, Director General of CSE told this newspaper: “Depletion in soil quality means depletion of carbon content and increased need for fertilisers. This adds to Greenhouse Gases emissions. The way ahead is to increase soil carbon through increased use of biomass. There can be many options to do this - from natural farming to increased use of nitrogen fixing crops and increased use of organic manure. This is a win-win as it will add fertility, reduce subsidies for fertilisers and emissions.”
Soil degradation in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu, a state heavily reliant on agriculture, is also witnessing significant soil degradation. According to the Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, the state had 1.60 million hectares affected by various forms of degradation as of 2018-19. Water erosion, particularly in the plains and riverine regions, accounts for a substantial portion of the degradation, along with localised salinity issues in coastal areas.
In the hilly regions of Tamil Nadu, land degradation manifests through mass movements, where steep slopes and heavy rainfall result in soil loss and landslides. Additionally, unsustainable agricultural practices, such as excessive use of chemical fertilizers and improper irrigation methods, have contributed to soil hardening and reduced fertility in many parts of the state.
Ongoing efforts
The government, under its commitment to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, has set an ambitious target of achieving land degradation neutrality by 2030. This includes the restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land.