Resource Planning and Land Resources

Resource Planning: A complex process involving:

• 1. Identification and Inventory: Surveying, mapping, and estimating resources across regions.

  2. Planning Structure: Evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology, skill, and institutional set-up.

  3. Matching with National Development Plans: Matching resource development plans with overall national development plans.

• Resource Planning in India: India has immense diversity in resource availability.

  • Some regions are rich in certain types of resources but deficient in others (e.g., Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal but deficient in infrastructure).

  • Arunachal Pradesh has abundant water resources but lacks infrastructure.

  • Rajasthan has abundant solar and wind energy but lacks water resources.

  • Ladakh is rich in cultural heritage but deficient in water, infrastructure, and some vital minerals.

  • This highlights the need for balanced resource planning at national, state, regional, and local levels.

• Conservation of Resources:

  • Rational and equitable distribution of resources is essential for a sustainable quality of life and global peace.

  • Gandhiji’s philosophy: “There is enough for everybody’s need and not for anybody’s greed.” He was against mass production and advocated for production by the masses.

  • The club of Rome (1968) and the Brandt Commission Report (1987) contributed to the concept of sustainable development.

• Land Resources:

  • Land is a natural resource of utmost importance.

  • It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life, economic activities, transport, and communication systems.

  • India has diverse relief features: mountains (30%), plateaus (27%), plains (43%).

    • Plains: Provide facilities for agriculture and industry.

    • Mountains: Provide perennial rivers, tourist spots, and ecological aspects.

    • Plateaus: Rich in minerals, fossil fuels, and forests.

• Land Utilisation: How land is used for different purposes.

  • Forests: Area covered by forests.

  • Land not available for cultivation: Barren and wasteland; land put to non-agricultural uses (buildings, roads, factories).

  • Other uncultivated land (excluding Fallow land):

    • Permanent pastures and grazing land.

    • Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area).

    • Culturable Waste land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).

  • Fallow lands:

    • Current fallow (left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year).

    • Other than current fallow (left uncultivated for 1 to 5 agricultural years).

  • Net Sown Area: Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known as Gross Cropped Area.

• Land Use Pattern in India: Determined by both physical (topography, climate, soil types) and human factors (population density, technology, culture, traditions).

  • Forest area in India is much lower than the desired 33% of the geographical area (as per National Forest Policy, 1952).

  • The pattern of Net Sown Area varies significantly across states.

  • Land under permanent pasture has decreased, posing a challenge for grazing and livestock.

  • Culturable wasteland and fallow lands are often of poor quality or costly to cultivate.

  • Repeated sowing without adequate measures leads to deterioration of soil quality.

• Land Degradation and Conservation Measures:

  • Causes of Degradation: Human activities (deforestation, overgrazing, mining, quarrying) and natural factors.

    • Mining sites: Lead to land scars, heaps of overburden.

    • Overgrazing: Common in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra.

    • Over-irrigation: Leads to waterlogging, increased salinity and alkalinity in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh.

    • Mineral processing: Generates large quantities of dust (cement industry, ceramic industry), which settles on land and hinders water infiltration.

    • Industrial Effluents: Pollution from industrial effluents and waste.

  • Conservation Measures:

    • Afforestation and proper management of grazing.

    • Planting of shelter belts of plants.

    • Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes.

    • Proper management of waste lands.

    • Control of mining activities.

    • Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment.