Q2(b). Write short note on soil conservation.

“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”

– Franklin Roosevelt

India loses nearly 5.3 billion tonnes of soil annually, severely affecting agricultural sustainability. Soil conservation aims to prevent erosion, maintain fertility, and ensure long-term productivity.

Mechanical / Engineering Measures

• Contour bunding, terracing, bench terracing, and gully plugging reduce erosion in undulating lands.
• Haryana uses check dams and earthen embankments in Aravalli belts (Mahendragarh–Rewari) to control runoff.

Agronomic Measures

• Crop rotation, strip cropping, cover crops, and mulching enhance soil structure and water retention.
• Haryana promotes mustard–bajra rotation, enhancing moisture utilisation.

Afforestation & Shelterbelts

• Plantation of drought-resilient trees such as khejri, neem, babool helps stabilize sandy soils.
• Haryana Forest Department’s Aravalli afforestation reduces desertification risks near Bhiwani and Mahendragarh.

Soil Fertility Management

• Application of organic manure, green manure (dhaincha), compost and biofertilisers.
• Zinc and sulphur-deficient soils in Haryana are treated through micro-nutrient application under the Soil Health Card scheme.

Legal and Institutional Measures

• Soil Conservation Acts, watershed missions, and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) guide sustainable land use.

Soil conservation is indispensable for ecological balance, climate resilience, and long-term agricultural productivity especially in semi-arid states like Haryana.