In order to restore the degraded land and reverse desertification, the government is now planning to Convergence the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) with the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
The Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, published by the Environment Ministry in 2021, shows that at least 30% of India’s total geographical area is categorized under “degraded land”.
MGNREGS:
- The MGNREGA came into force in the year 2006.
- It was earlier known as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREG).
- The MGNREGA’s mandate is to ensure the right to work.
- It aims to ensure rural livelihoods by providing 100 days of wage employment.
- MGNREGAs were implemented with the ultimate goal of protecting the environment, improving the livelihoods of those living in poverty, and empowering women.
- The 2022–2024 budgetary allocation for MGNREGA is 73,000 crores.
PMKSY:
- It was launched on July 1st, 2015.
- The motto of PMKSY is ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’.
- The PMKSY’s mandate is to expand cultivated areas with irrigation.
- It is committed to giving water conversation a high priority.
Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Rural Development, and Ajay Tirkey, Secretary, Department of Land Resources, asked the Chief Secretaries of the states to make sure that both the schemes, MGNREGA and PMKSY, work in tandem.
Desertification or degradation affects 50% of the land area in the following states:
- Jharkhand
- Rajasthan
- Delhi
- Gujarat
- Goa
States with less than 10% land degradation are:
- Kerala
- Assam
- Mizoram
- Haryana
- Bihar
- Uttar Pradesh
- Punjab
- Arunachal Pradesh
There is the possibility of stopping or controlling desertification processes in areas where they are in their early stages. At the moment, prevention is more cost-effective than rehabilitation.
Convergence of the MGNREGS and the PMKSY would aid in the reversal of desertification, Some ways to reverse desertification
- Planting more trees
- Eliminating Haboobs
- Enriching the quality of the soil
- Water management
- Reintroducing selected species
To take up the treatment, the Rural Development Ministry is hoping to make use of the MGNREGS budget of 73,000 crores to reverse desertification.
The integaration of the MGNREGS and the PMKSY would aid in the reversal of desertification in the country while also creating jobs and restoring degraded lands.
To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, it is important to promote the sustainability of ecosystem services while also eradicating poverty.
