APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR

RURAL DEVELOPMENT USING SOIL

CONSERVATION AND WASTE LAND
DEVELOPMENT

SUBMITTED BY :
Apeksha M
Lakshman R
Praveena A N
Contents
• SOIL CONSERVATION
• SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES
• SOIL CONSERVATION MEASURES
• CASE STUDY
• WASTE LAND
• WASTE LAND MAP OF INDIA
• CATEGORIES OF WASTE LAND
• CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION
• EFFECTS OF LAND DEGRADATION
• WASTELAND RECLAMATION
• NEED FOR WASTELAND RECLAMATION
• FORMS OF WASTELANDS
• METHOD OF WASTELAND RECLAMATION
WHAT IS SOIL CONSERVATION ?

• Soil conservation is the

prevention of loss of the top
most layer of the soil
from erosion or prevention
of reduced fertility caused
by over usage, acidification,
salinization or other
chemical soil contamination.
• Contour farming : is a planting
crops across or perpendicular to
slopes to follow the contours of a
slope of a field. This arrangement of
plants breaks up the flow of water
and makes it harder for soil erosion to
occur.
• Terrace farming is a method
of farming whereby “steps” known
as terraces are built onto the slopes
of hills and mountains. When it rains,
instead of rain carrying away the soil
nutrients and plants down the slope,
they flow to the next terrace.
• No-till farming: (also known
as zero tillage or direct drilling) is
technique for growing crops without
disturbing the soil through tillage. It
decreases the amount of soil
erosion in sandy and dry soils on
sloping terrain.

• Organic farming: is a method of

crop and livestock production
without the use of pesticides,
fertilizers
• Wetland restoration: is the manipulation
of a degraded wetland's physical,
chemical, or biological characteristics to
return its natural functions.
• Forest restoration: May include simply
protecting vegetation (fire prevention,
cattle exclusion etc.) or more active
interventions to accelerate
natural regeneration, as well as
tree planting and/or sowing seeds (direct
seeding).
• planting buffer strips along stream
banks: It is a areas of grass or other
permanent vegetation that protect riparian
areas from sediment runoff, pesticides,
pathogens, organics and nutrients.
These strips are very important in
protecting stream banks and water
quality.
• Windbreak : (shelterbelt) is a planting
usually made up of one or more rows of
trees or shrubs planted to provide
shelter from the wind and to protect soil
from erosion. They are commonly
planted in the edges of fields on farms.
• Proper waste disposal and
management : It  is the collection,
transportation, and disposal of garbage,
sewage and other waste products. 
SOIL CONSERVATION MEASURES
Certain conservation measures can reduce soil erosion. Soil / land
management practices such as tillage and cropping practices, directly affect
the overall soil erosion problem and solutions on a farm. When crop
rotations or changing tillage practices are not enough to control erosion on
a field, a combination of measures might be necessary. For example,
contour plowing, strip cropping, or terracing may be considered. 

Types of conservation measures: 

 Agronomic
 Vegetative
 Structural
 Overall management
Agronomic
Conservation agriculture: It tend to improve
their soil organic matter (SOM) content. SOM can
be considered as the most important soil fertility and
quality factor influencing other soil properties as
infiltration, water holding capacity or soil structure.

•soil cover : here Crop residues are left on the soil

surface to protect soil surface after harvesting. .

Contour farming involves ploughing, planting and

weeding along the contour, i.e, across the slope
rather than up and down.
Vegetative:

 vegetative strips
 windbreaks
  Living Fence is a fence made of living trees and
shrubs. it can also be called a green fence, or hedge.
Structural:
 Fanya juu: terraces are constructed by digging
ditches and heaping the soil, forming bunds in the
upper sides of the ditches.
 Cutoff drains: are dug across a slope. They are used
to protect cultivated land, compounds and roads from
uncontrolled runoff, and to divert water from gully
heads.  
 Bund : A bund is like an embankment, often built
around the periphery of farmland to prevent water
run-off. It reduce soil erosion.
Overall management
 Land use change, area closure and rational
grazing

• Management measures are often applied to

grazing land in situations where uncontrolled use
has led to degradation and where other measures
simply do not work without a fundamental change
in land management. Enclosures, thus protection
from grazing, allow regeneration of vegetation
cover.
Case study of soil and water conservation measures in
Raichur district, Karnataka
• The study was carried out in the five villages namely
Kurubadoddi, Kadgamdoddi, Wadavatti, Singanodi and
Baidoddi of Raichur district in Karnataka.
• The area is located on 16°13' N latitude and 77°25' E
longitude and at an elevation of 401m above mean sea level.
The average annual rainfall is 610 mm, normally starts from
July.
• Raichur district of Karnataka has a good potential for the
production of food grain crops.
• The farmers in Kurubadoddi, Kadgamdoddi, Wadavatti,
Singanodi and Baidoddi depend on rainfall for farming. This
means that farmers in these communities are best with erratic
rainfall, prolonged drought, degraded soil, as a result of
erosion. This may lead to low productivity. Low crop yield
threatens food security in the communities and ultimately
leads to low income levels of the people.
• Hence research was carried out to ascertain the soil
conservation measures adopted by farmers to mitigate soil
and moisture loss for effective crop production in the area.
 Field observation
• Measurement of slope :
• Measurement of rills :
• Measurement of infiltration rate:
• Measurements of moisture content and bulk density of
soils:
• The results indicated that the agriculture lands were
moderately sloppy 3.5% with an estimated soil loss of
2.1 t/ha/year. Average bulk density was found to be 1.8
g/cc,indicating slightly compact soil leading to low
infiltration rate.The permeability of the soil is, therefore,
low infiltration rate and surface water flows highly
causes moderate erosion on land. This leads to low
fertility of the soil, which affect crop yield.
soil conservation practice
• Farmers in the study area undertake soil conservation practice by
ploughing across the slope twice before planting their crops. It
increased capture of runoff water, thereby reducing soil erosion
and maintaining infiltration rate as well as increasing soil macro
pores after ploughing The ploughing is done to mix the manure
with the soil thoroughly. This helps to improve the cohesiveness
of the soil and increases its water retention capacity. Some
farmers also prefer making ridges to ploughing the land before
cropping.
• however, farmers are able to conserve the soil and control erosion
to some extent through some conservational methods such
ridging across the slope, tillage practice and ploughing with
tractors and some time animals traction with organic manure or
fertilizer application with mulching which enhance crop growth
thus increasing crop yields.
 WHAT IS WASTELAND?
The National Wasteland
Development Board (NWDB) has
defined wasteland as

“Degraded land which can be

brought under vegetative cover with
reasonable effort and which is
currently under utilized and land
which is deteriorating for lack of
appropriate water and soil
management or on account of
natural causes”.
WASTELAND MAP OF INDIA 2011

• From the total land

area of 328 million hectare
about 162 million hectare
i.e. 51% is agricultural
land,4% is pasture
land,21% is forest land and
24% is wasteland

(Source: Dept of Land Resources, Govt of India)

 CATEGORIES OF WASTELAND IN INDIA
• Gullies and/or ravines
• Upland with or without scrub
• Waterlogged and marshy land
• Land affected by salinity /alkalinity in coastal and
inland areas
• Land under shifting cultivation
• Under utilized / degraded notified forest land
• Degraded pasture / grazing land
• Degraded land under plantation crops
• Shifting sands- inland /coastal
• Mining / industrial wastelands
• Barren rocky / stony waste/ sheet rock areas
• Steep sloping area
• Snow covered and/ or glacial area
Source: The National Wasteland Development Board
 Gullies and/or ravines
 A ravine is defined as a small, narrow, and
deep depression, smaller than a valley, and
larger than a gully.

Upland with or without scrub

This is the land of undulating nature prone to
degradation. This may or may not
have scrub cover

Waterlogged and marshy land

Waterlogged land is that low lying land where
the water is at/or near the surface and the water
stands for most part of the year.
Land affected by salinity /alkalinity in coastal and
inland areas
Land affected by salinity/alkalinity have excess
soluble salts (saline) or high exchangeable sodium.

Land under shifting cultivation

Shifting cultivation is a traditional practice of
growing crops on forested/ vegetated hill-slope by
the slash and burn method.

Degraded pasture / grazing land

These are the lands in non-forest areas that are
either under permanent pastures or meadows,
which have degraded due to lack of proper soil and
water conservation and drainage development
measures.
Degraded land under plantation crops
These are the degraded lands that have been brought
under plantation crops after reclamation, and are
located outside the notified forest areas.
Shifting sands- inland /coastal
It refers to land with accumulation of sand, in coastal,
riverine or inland areas. These lands are mostly found
in deserts, riverbeds and along the shores.
Mining / industrial wastelands
Mine dump: lands where waste debris is accumulated
after extraction of minerals.
Industrial: These are areas of stockpile of storage
dump of industrial raw material or slag/effluents or
waste material or quarried/mixed debris from earth’s
surface.
Barren rocky / stony waste/ sheet rock areas:
Barren rocky areasoccur on steep isolated hillocks/hill
slopes, crests, plateau and eroded plains associated with
barren and exposed rocky/stony wastes, lateritic out-
crops, mining and quarrying sites.
Steep sloping area:
 Areas that exceed a certain percent slope. Steep slopes
are often associated with other environmental features
such as rock outcrops, shallow soils, bedrock fractures,
and groundwater seeps.
Snow covered and/ or glacial area
These lands are under snow cover and are confined to the
Himalayan region. The mountain peaks and slopes and
high relief areas are the places where snow/glacial areas
occurs
CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION
• Over cultivation
• Deforestation
 Use as fuel wood.
 Shifting cultivation
 Commercial timber
exploitation
 Clearing forests permanently for non forestry activities like
human settlement, setting up industries etc.
• Overgrazing
• Improper irrigation practices
 EFFECTS OF LAND DEGRADATION

• Surface runoff and floods.

• Soil erosion & desertification.
• Loss of nutrients & land productivity.
• Soil acidification/alkalinisation.
• Soil salinity.
• Loss of biodiversity.
• Long term socioeconomic impact on humans like migration.
 WASTELAND RECLAMATION

Reclamation of wasteland means re-

claiming it or to use it for productive
purpose. Wasteland reclamation is the
process of turning barren, sterile wasteland
into something that is fertile and suitable
for habitation and cultivation. India has
shown an alarming rate of decline in the
man-land ratio from 1.25 hectare per capita
in 1921 to 0.48 hectare per capita in 1986
to 0.31 hectare per capita in 2011.
 NEED FOR WASTELAND RECLAMATION
• It provides a source of income for
the rural poor.
• It ensures a constant supply of
fuel, fodder and timber for local
use.
• It makes the soil fertile by
preventing soil erosion and
conserving moisture.
• The program helps maintain an
ecological balance in the area.
• The increasing forest cover helps
in maintaining local climatic
conditions.
WASTELANDS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO
THREE FORMS

 Easily reclaimable,
 Reclaimable with some difficulty,
 Reclaimable with extreme difficulty.
EASILY RECLAIMABLE

• Easily reclaimable wastelands can be used for

agricultural purposes. Wastelands can be reclaimed
for agriculture by reducing the salt content which
can be done by leaching etc.
• Gypsum, urea, potash and compost are added before
planting crops in such areas.
 RECLAIMED WITH SOME DIFFICULTY
These wastelands can be utilized for
agro forestry. Agro forestry involves
putting land to multiple uses. Its main
purpose is to have trees and crops
inter- and/or under planted to form an
integrated system of biological
production within a certain area. Thus,
agro forestry implies integration of
trees with agricultural crops or
livestock management simultaneously.
 RECLAIMED WITH EXTREME DIFFICULTY
Wasteland that are reclaimed with extreme difficulty can
be used for forestry or to recreate natural ecosystem.
Attempts to grow trees in highly non alkaline saline soils
have been largely unsuccessful. Field experiments have
shown that species like Eucalyptus, Prosopis and Acacia
nilotica could not be grown in highly alkaline soil.
Studies have shown that if tree seedlings are planted with
a mixture of original soil, gypsum, and manure, better
growth can be achieved. It is however important to use
indigenous species of trees so that the program recreates
the local ecosystem with all its species.
 METHOD OF WASTELAND RECLAMATION

• There are various methods by which wastelands can be

reclaimed.
1. AFFORESTATION :It means growing the forest over
culturable wasteland.
2. REFORESTATION :Growing the
forest again over the lands where
they were existing and was
destroyed due to fires, overgrazing,
and excessive cutting. Reforestation
checks water logging, floods, soil
erosion and increase productivity of
land.
3.PROVIDING SURFACE COVER
:The easiest way to protect the land
surface from soil erosion is of leave
crop residue on the land after
harvesting.
4. MULCHING : Mulch is a
layer of material applied to
the surface of an area of soil
.In this protective cover of
organic matter and plants
like stalks, cotton stalks,
tobacco stalks etc. are used
which reduce evaporation,
help in retaining soil
moisture and reduce soil
erosion.
5. CHANGING GROUND TOPOGRAPHY ON
DOWNHILL’S :Running water erodes the hill soil
and carries the soil along with it. This can be
minimized by following alternation in ground
topography:
(a) Strip farming : Different kinds of crops are
planted in alternate strip along the contour.
(b)Terracing :In this arrangement, the
earth is shaped in the
form of leveled terraces to
hold soil and water.
The terrace edges are planted
with such plant species
which anchor the soil.
(c)Contour ploughing:In this arrangement, the
ploughing of land is done across the hill and not in
up and down style.
6. LEACHING: In salt affected land, the salinity
can be minimized by leaching them with more
water.
7. CHANGING AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES :Like mixed cropping, crop rotation
and cropping of plants are adopted to improve
soil fertility.
8. ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION :This refers to the
natural development or redevelopment of an
ecosystem which help in reclaiming the
minerally deficient soil of wasteland.
 SCHEMES – Department of land resources
THE MAJOR SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED BY THIS DEPARTMENTS ARE:

1. Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (Watershed Development Component

2. Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme
3. Neeranchal - World Bank assisted Watershed Management
4. GIZ led pilot Land Use Planning and Management

1.Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (Watershed Development Component

Watershed Development Projects-2008 (Revised Edition-2011), the period for

completing PMKSY (Watershed Development) projects is between 4-7 years.
The activities to be taken up are distributed over three phases.
The Preparatory Phase (1 to 2 years) involves preparation of DPR, Entry Point Activities
and Institution & Capacity Building.
The Watershed Works Phase (2 to 3 years) involves the Watershed Development
Works, Livelihood Activities for the asset-less persons and Production System & Micro
Enterprises.
The Consolidation and Withdrawal Phase (1 to 2 years) involves consolidation and
completion of various works.
1. The funding pattern between Centre and States in the erstwhile IWMP was 90:10,
2. The funding pattern under Watershed Development Component of PMKSY is
60:40.However, for North-Eastern States and Hill States (J&K, H.P & Uttarakhand)
The funding pattern between Centre and the States continues to be 90:10.
3. The projects under IWMP undertake a cluster of micro-watersheds of area about
5000 ha in rainfed/ degraded areas having no assured irrigation.
4. Dedicated institutions are also provided at Centre, State and District levels.

2.Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme

The main aims of DILRMP are to usher in a system of updated land records , automated
and automatic mutation , integration between textual and spatial records , inter-
connectivity between revenue and registration, to replace the present deeds registration
and presumptive title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee.

The DILRMP has 3 major components –

(a) Computerization of land record (b) Survey/re-survey (c) Computerization of
Registration.
(b) The District has been taken as the unit of implementation, where all programme
activities are to converge.
(c) It is hoped that all districts in the country would be covered by the end of the 12th
Plan period except where cadastral surveys are being done for the first time.
3.NEERANCHAL - WORLD BANK ASSISTED NATIONAL WATERSHED
MANAGEMENT PROJECT

1. The Project Development Objective (PDO) of Neeranchal is to support WDC-PMKSY

through technical assistance to improve incremental conservation outcomes and
agricultural yields for communities in selected sites, and adoption of more effective
processes and technologies into the broader PMKSY in participating states.

2. The total project cost is USD 357.0 million. The project will be financed through
Investment Project Financing (IPF) at a 50/50 cost-sharing ratio, with USD178.5
million in International Development Association (IDA) financing, and an equivalent
from GoI (in Indian rupees) of USD178.5 million, outside of WDC-PMKSY.

3. The Component 3 will be shared between Centre and State in the sharing pattern of
60:40.
PILOT PROJECT ON LAND USE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

1. Land is a scarce resource required by different sectors of the economy like

agriculture, industry, mining, for infrastructure development, urban planning, public
utilities, housing, etc. and there are competing mutually exclusive and often
conflicting demands for land and its resources by these economic sectors and for
social needs.

2. In this context, it is imperative that effective land use planning and management
systems are put in place.

3. The project will also develop standard operating procedures and guidelines for
collaboration and interface with different departments within the State for spatial
planning to promote inter-sectoral coordination mechanism among various
departments at state level.

4. The Department of Land Resources is coordinating and facilitating the project. An

Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee at national level has been constituted on 28th
November, 2016 to steer, monitor, evaluate and facilitate implementation of the
project.
Wasteland management casestudy
Reference
•Website of department of land resource www,dolr.gov.in
•International Journal of Agricultural Engineering |Volume 7 | Issue 1 | A CASE
STUDY April, 2014 | 271–274
THANK YOU