Given below are two statements
Statement I: Maximum wasteland areas in our country lies in Madhya Pradesh.
Statement II: In Haryana, most wastelands comprise saline, sodic or sandy land areas.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below
Show Hint
- Largest Wasteland Area State in India: Rajasthan (due to the Thar Desert).
- Sodic/Saline and Sandy Wastelands: Highly characteristic of degraded agricultural lands in Haryana.
Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
Show Solution
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The Correct Option isD
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Wasteland refers to degraded land that is currently underutilized due to various soil, water, or environmental limitations.
The Wasteland Atlas of India mapping, published by the Ministry of Rural Development, tracks the distribution and types of wastelands across the country. Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze Statement I:
According to the Wasteland Atlas of India, the state with the largest total area of wasteland is Rajasthan.
This is due to the extensive arid sandy tracts of the Thar Desert.
Rajasthan is followed by Jammu and Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh.
Thus, Statement I is incorrect.
Let us analyze Statement II:
In Haryana, agricultural development is intensive, but specific regions suffer from land degradation:
- The southwestern districts bordering Rajasthan contain extensive sandy wastelands caused by wind erosion.
- The central and semi-arid districts suffer from waterlogging, which has led to widespread soil salinization and sodicity (alkali soils).
Therefore, the majority of Haryana's wastelands consist of saline, sodic, or sandy soils.
Thus, Statement II is correct. Step 2: Final Answer:
Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct.
