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The land is a bio-productive ecosystem on the surface of the earth. Soil, water, plants, and other biotas make up this ecosystem. The natural resource of land is extremely precious. It is the place where all living things call home. It provides for the needs of the human race in terms of food, fiber, medicine, housing, energy, water, material supply, engineering construction, and a pleasant atmosphere in which all life can thrive. Apart from this, humans are aware of both fertile land (which is cultivated land) and barren land (which is uncultivated land). Here we are going to discuss uncultivated land.
What do you mean by Uncultivated land?
Land that has not been ploughed or enhanced by management measures and has been left fallow and not used to grow crops is Uncultivated land.
There are two categories of ‘land not available for cultivation, and those are:
- Culturable Waste: Culturable waste is the land used for agriculture but isn’t because of various factors such as a lack of water, salinization, soil erosion, waterlogging, a problematic physiographic situation, or human carelessness.
- Fallow Land: This category encompasses all land that was once cultivated but is now uncultivated. Depending on the soil type and the type of farming, fallow land is left uncultivated for 1 to 5 years to replenish its fertility naturally.
Uncultivated land in India
One-sixth of India’s land is either devoid of vegetation or overrun. These lands are referred to as wastelands, and they are economically unproductive, ecologically unfit, and environmentally degraded. In answer to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Rural Development, noted that wastelands are growing in 11 states, including Odisha, Assam, and Telangana. Snow-covered areas, coastal saline area forest blanks, barren hill ridges, and other natural and manufactured factors contribute to the formation of wastelands. Uncultivated land is formed mostly due to deforestation, overgrazing, over-cultivation, and inadequate irrigation.
About 51.09% of India’s land is used for agriculture, 21.81% for forest, and 3.92% for grazing. About 12.34% of the land comprises built-up areas and uncultivated land. Uncultivated waste accounts for 5.17% of total land, which can be turned into farmland. Other forms of land account for 4.67% of total land.
Land left Uncultivated for five years in India
The land left uncultivated for five years is called fallow land. India had 26,718 thousand hectares of fallow land in 2019. Though the amount of fallow land in India has fluctuated significantly in recent years, it has increased from 2005 to 2019, reaching 26,718 thousand hectares in 2019.
Due to its geography, the state of Karnataka has land left uncultivated for five years, which is located in the southwestern region of India, sees a wide range of weather conditions. 70% of the whole geographical area is dry, and here is where the majority of people reside.
Other Uncultivated lands
Other uncultivated lands are mostly unused, and it does not comprise any fallow land. Permanent pastures, often known as grazing grounds, are examples of other uncultivated lands that do not include fallow land. Then there’s land under tree crops, which excludes net planted areas, and finally, culturable wastelands that have been left uncultivated for more than five years in a row, giving you five agricultural areas.
Conclusion
Therefore, land not available for cultivation in India is 12.34% of the total land. Day by day, lands are barren because of human carelessness and unethical land activities. For five years, the land left uncultivated has been dominated by housing, industrial establishments, and much more. While the fallow lands can be cultivated, it will take extreme land fixing costs to retain healthy soil to cultivate crops. The consequences or effects of uncultivated lands are a decrease in crop production, as well as a major impact on the livelihoods of marginal and small farm households, mass poverty, and hunger.
