'Urbanisation cause of decline in cultivable land'

New Delhi, Apr 27: The Government today said the agricultural land has declined from 185.09 hectares in 1980-81 to 183.09 million hectares in 2004-05 due to urbanisation, increase in population and diversification of land for non-agricultural purposes such as roads and industries.

During the same period, land under non-agricultural purposes has increased from 19.66 million hectares to 24.45 million hectares, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar informed the Rajya Sabha.

Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) said the situation was alarming especially after the oncoming of the SEZs.

Mr Pawar said irrigated lands were being avoided to be acquired for SEZs and only barren land will be used for industrial development.

Mr Pawar said the government is implementing a Centrally sponsored Programme of State Land Use Boards (SLUBs) throgh Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA) where state governments have been advised to bring suitable legislation to prevent use of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

Some of the states, through these SLUBs have issued instruction and executive orders relating to diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.

He said barren lands have been reduced by about 2.22 million hectares and culturable waste land has also decreased by about 2.5 million hectares while the land under forests increased to two million hectares.

UNI