293
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_17
Chapter 17
Management of Wastelands
in Chotanagpur Plateau Fringe: Lessons
from Village-Level Experience in Birbhum
District of West Bengal, India
N. C. Jana and Manas Pal
17.1 Introduction
The term ‘wasteland’ is essentially understood as degraded land which is the
resulted form of inherent or imposed disabilities such as by location, environment,
chemical and physical properties of the soil or financial or management constraints
(Wastelands Atlas 2005). India has only 2.4% of the world’s geographical area and
0.5% grazing area but supports over 16% of the world’s population and over 18% of
world’s cattle population which indicates the pressure on the land is often beyond
its carrying capacity. Therefore, vast tracts of productive land are in a constant process of degradation and are fast turning into wasteland. In India, 47.22 million hectares out of total geographical area of 328.72 million hectares are under wastelands
(Wastelands Atlas 2010).
The rain-fed parts of Rarh Bengal are also suffering from the same problems.
Though the land utilization pattern indicates that around 10.86% of land belongs to
various types of wastelands, there is a wide range of variations at village-level distribution. High rate of deforestation and lack of irrigation facilities are mainly
responsible for the formation of vast tracts of wastelands at Khoyrasole C D Block
located at the foothill zone of Chotanagpur Plateau. But these under-utilized,
degraded lands which are deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil management or an account of natural causes can be reclaimed through integrated use of
various indigenous methods related to increase in food, fuel wood and fodder production through greening of the wastelands.
N. C. Jana (*)
Department of Geography, The University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India
M. Pal (*)
Department of Geography, B. B. College, Asansol, West Bengal, India
E-mail: manaspal.07@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Rukhsana et al. (eds.), Habitat, Ecology and Ekistics, Advances in Asian
Human-Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49115-4_17
Chapter 17
Management of Wastelands
in Chotanagpur Plateau Fringe: Lessons
from Village-Level Experience in Birbhum
District of West Bengal, India
N. C. Jana and Manas Pal
17.1 Introduction
The term ‘wasteland’ is essentially understood as degraded land which is the
resulted form of inherent or imposed disabilities such as by location, environment,
chemical and physical properties of the soil or financial or management constraints
(Wastelands Atlas 2005). India has only 2.4% of the world’s geographical area and
0.5% grazing area but supports over 16% of the world’s population and over 18% of
world’s cattle population which indicates the pressure on the land is often beyond
its carrying capacity. Therefore, vast tracts of productive land are in a constant process of degradation and are fast turning into wasteland. In India, 47.22 million hectares out of total geographical area of 328.72 million hectares are under wastelands
(Wastelands Atlas 2010).
The rain-fed parts of Rarh Bengal are also suffering from the same problems.
Though the land utilization pattern indicates that around 10.86% of land belongs to
various types of wastelands, there is a wide range of variations at village-level distribution. High rate of deforestation and lack of irrigation facilities are mainly
responsible for the formation of vast tracts of wastelands at Khoyrasole C D Block
located at the foothill zone of Chotanagpur Plateau. But these under-utilized,
degraded lands which are deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil management or an account of natural causes can be reclaimed through integrated use of
various indigenous methods related to increase in food, fuel wood and fodder production through greening of the wastelands.
N. C. Jana (*)
Department of Geography, The University of Burdwan, Bardhaman, West Bengal, India
M. Pal (*)
Department of Geography, B. B. College, Asansol, West Bengal, India
E-mail: manaspal.07@gmail.com