Question

Answer the following questions in about 120 words.
Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much since 1960-61?

Answer 1

Land resources in India are primarily divided into agricultural land, forest land, land meant for pasture and grazing, and wasteland. Waste land includes rocky, arid, desert areas and land used for other non-agricultural purposes such as housing, roads, and industry. According to recent data, about 54% of the total land area is cultivable or fallow, 22.5% is covered by forests, and 3.45% is used for grazing. The rest is a wasteland, with traces of miscellaneous cultivation.

The improper use of forest land has degraded the available land area and has made the conservation of forests difficult. Human activities such as deforestation, mining and quarrying have contributed to the slow growth rate of forests. Thus, land under forest has increased by only about 4% since 1960-61.