Mining activities, overgrazing, and over-irrigation have led to land degradation through abandoned mining sites, deforestation, water logging, and increased soil salinity. Dust from mineral processing and industrial effluents have also polluted land and water. Conservation measures include afforestation, controlling overgrazing, stabilizing sand dunes, managing waste lands, controlling mining activities, and properly disposing of industrial effluents.

1. LAND DEGRADATION
AND CONSERVATION
MEASURES
Utkarsh & Ashutosh
X ‘C’

2. Mining activities
Causes of Land
Degradation - 1
• Mining sites are abandoned after
excavation work is complete leaving
deep scars and traces of over-
burdening.
• In states like Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Orissa deforestation due to mining
have caused severe land degradation.

3. Causes of Land
Degradation - 2
•In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
overgrazing is one of the main reasons
for land degradation.
An example of Overgrazing
• In the states of Punjab, Haryana,
western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation
is responsible for land degradation due
to water logging leading to increase in
salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
An example of Over irrigation

4. Mineral processing
Causes of Land
Degradation -3
•The mineral processing like grinding
of limestone for cement industry and
calcite and soapstone for ceramic
industry generate huge quantity of
dust in the atmosphere. It retards the
process of infiltration of water into the
soil after it settles down on the land.
Industrial effluents
•In recent years, industrial effluents as
waste have become a major source of
land and water pollution in many parts
of the country.

5. Afforestation
Conservation of Land
Resources - 1
• Afforestation and proper
management of grazing can help to
some extent.
Shelter belts of plants
• Planting of shelter belts of plants,

6. Controlling overgrazing
Conservation of Land
Resources - 2
•Control on overgrazing,
Stabilising sand dunes
• Stabilisation of sand dunes by
growing thorny bushes.

7. Management of waste lands
Conservation of Land
Resources - 3
•Proper management of waste lands,
• Control of mining activities,
Controlling mining activities
• Proper discharge and disposal of
industrial effluents and wastes after Proper disposal
treatment.