Last month, while addressing a high-level dialogue on desertification, drought, and land degradation at the United Nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprised the world how about three million hectares of the forest area were added to India in the last ten years. Now, the forest area has increased to about a quarter of the total area of the country.
Throwing light on measures taken to prevent the land from becoming barren in Kutch, Gujarat, he said that the focus has been on planting grass to make the land fertile, preventing it from becoming barren desert, which proved to be very effective. Besides, he also stressed the world's largest forum about how India is working on a plan to rejuvenate 26 million hectares of barren land by 2030.
3 Million Hectares Of Forest Cover Added
India has taken the lead in highlighting the issue of land degradation at international forums to pass on a healthier planet for the generations to come. In the last ten years, nearly 3 million hectares of forest cover were added in India, enhancing the combined area to almost one-fourth of the country's total area.
The country is on track to achieve its natural commitment to land degradation neutrality. The central government is working on a plan to rejuvenate 26 million acres of barren land by 2030, which will help prevent about 3 billion tones of carbon emissions in the environment.
In a country like India, where the earth is considered a holy mother, land degradation has affected two-thirds of the world. If this is not taken care of, it will undermine the foundations of society, economy, food security, health, quality of life, and security. For this, a centre of excellence is being set up in India to promote a scientific approach towards the issue of land degradation.