Social and Economic Aspects of Soil Conservation

Abstract

Soil is the very basis of agriculture and the need to protect it from its cncmics, the wind and the floods, by adopting soil and moisture conservation measures can hardly be exaggerated. Soil erosion both by winds and the velocity of flow of water has been responsible for considerable devas- tation of agricultural economy in the various parts of the country in general and in north- eastern region of this State in particular. It was for this reason that two years back we took up a programme of Merh Bundi ( contour bunding ).

Initially this programme was taken up in the blocks of Doongarpur, Ajmer and Jaisel- mer districts and the encouraging results there impelled us to take it up as a State- wide drive this year. We have been able to bring about six lac acres of land under Merh Bundi.

Soil conservation measures, however, need to be taken up as a community programme rather than an individual programme. It is necessary to create the requisite under- standing of the importance of the measures envisaged to be taken up, the practical de- monstration of those measures so that every- one in the community understands the techniques, and also to provide the wherewithal to such people in the community, who are willing to take up those measures but do not have the necessarv technical or financial resources. The people's representatives and the people's institutions have to be actively associated with such a programme. Their training, therefore, becomes of supreme im- portance. It is such representatives, who would, after having been trained, will radiate • the message amongst those whom they repre- sent. The Panchayats and the Vikas Man- dals in the Community Development areas and other such ad hoc organizations in non- block organizations will, therefore, have to bc prcparcd for the programme. Training camps may, thcrcforc, havc to bc organized at the district, block and the village level for this purpose.