Meghalaya loses 10 million tonnes soil every year

Shillong, Oct 5 (UNI) Meghalaya annually loses about 10 million tonnes of soil due to the practice of Jhum (shifting cultivation), deforestation and other means.

Director of Soil and Water Conservation K C Momin said at a meeting held at Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoil district on Friday that the traditional method of slash and burn or jhum cultivation by the tribals was reducing the forest cover and exposing the top soil to rain and wind.

The state, being a hilly one, the top soil gets washed away by rain water during monsoon and with continued jhum practice more soil is lost every year.

''It is very important to preserve soil as life directly or indirectly depends on it,'' Mr Momin said and emphased on adopting soil conservation.

The official stressed on conservation and management of land resources and striving towards producing the maximum from the available cultivable land.

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