In the Media
India: Agriculture, at the cost of forests
June 27, 2011
The Hindu
Authorities in Adilabad district seem to have missed the obvious point when it comes to control of large-scale illegal forest clearances, which is resulting in creation of agriculture fields.
Thrust on development of irrigation potential in the agency area, timely supply of agriculture inputs, and improved access to markets would have deterred tribal people from bringing extra land under cultivation, according to experts.
The increase in crop area from 4 lakh hectares in 2002 to 6.12 lakh hectares in 2010 is mostly a result of illegal occupation of forest land, especially during the latter half of the last decade.
While the extent of fallow lands has stayed put at 43,000 hectares, a fair portion of the estimated over-2000 sq km of newly deforested area (of the original 7,200 sq km under green cover) has been brought under cultivation.
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Keywords: Adilabad, agriculture, cultivation, deforestation, fallow land, Forest, India