Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 27
With over 29 per cent of its land classified as “degraded”, India has pledged to restore around 50 lakh hectares of it to fertility in the next 10 years.
Reversing the damage caused due to human actions like over-grazing, excessive use, water logging, over-drafting of groundwater, deforestation, urbanisation and tillage practices and factors like climate change and natural disasters will also help generate employment for 75 lakh persons, said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar here today. Land is called degraded if has lost its natural productivity. One hectare of land has the potential to generate employment for average 1.5 persons, he said.
Desertification is a worldwide problem directly affecting 250 million people and one-third of the earth’s surface. “India will convert around 50 lakh hectares of degraded land into fertile land over the next 10 years; it will implement provisions of New Delhi Declaration which is to be adopted at the end of conference and a centre for excellence will be established at Dehradun,” he said, outlining the contours of the upcoming international conference that will be attended by representatives of over 196 countries—the 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
India will play host to the conference being held at Greater Noida adjoining the Capital between September 2 and 13. To a question by The Tribune whether the Haryana Government and the Centre were doing enough to combat desertification in the Aravallis that protect Delhi-NCR from desertification, he said: “On the last day (of the COP14) you will have a programme for that also, you will get to know because before that we will have a big discussion. We are protecting Aravallis and have to protect nature in all its forms.”
Aravallis form a natural barrier against dust, desertification and air pollution in Haryana, Delhi and beyond. Haryana Government is under attack from NGOs and Opposition over alleged reluctance to protect the Aravallis — the oldest range of “fold mountains” in India. Human actions have affected natural drainage pattern in the range and it is also said that for Delhi-NCR to live, the Aravallis have to survive. The main objective of the meting is to combat desertification and mitigate effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought or desertification.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/342uNT8
via Today’s News Headlines
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