Discuss anthropogenic factors of land degradation.
or
Explain any four human activities which are mainly responsible for land degradation in India.
The human activities responsible for land degradation in India are
(i) Deforestation due to mining activities in
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have caused severe land degradation.
Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete, leaving deep scars.
(it) Mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry as well as calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantities of dust which falls down on land. This retards the process of infiltration ofwater into the soil.
(Hi) Effluents as waste from industries have become a major source of land and water pollution in many parts of the country.
(iv) Over irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh is responsible for land degradation due to waterlogging, leading to increase in salinity.