A third factor has led to the current debility of soils in India: irrigation. That is to say, water over-use. To feed the rice-wheat mentality, net irrigated area rose from 20.8 million ha in 1950 to 53.5 million ha in 1995-1996. Fed on irrigation, the agricultural area grew from a mere 20.8 per cent in 1966-1967 to 42.4 per cent of the 120 million ha of cultivated land in the country by 1997-1998. Canals began to weave their way through the land, bringing subsidised water right up to the farm-gate. Farmers went on a flood; then began to suffer.
Take the case of Ram Pal, of village Kalwala in Bhatinda district, south Punjab. He has a family of three to feed and aRs 50,000 debt. His only asset
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/more-and-more-water
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/newspaper/down-earth
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-resources
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-capability
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-erosion
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-science
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/agricultural-systems
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/organic-farming
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/chemical-fertilisers
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/rice
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/wheat
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/legumes
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/millets
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/irrigation
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/traditional-knowledge
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/pesticide-residues
[17] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/research
[18] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/india
[19] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/statistics