ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE : SOCIAL ISSUES 211
There are several species of trees that exhibit moderate resistance to salinity that can
be used for reclamation of saline soils. These are Prosobis, Spicigera, Beautea monosperma,
Terminalia ballacca. Efforts are being made to understand the basis of salt tolerance and
isolate the gene responsible for this attribute so that salt tolerant plant can be developed
through genetic engineering. Attempts have been made to develop acidic resistant crops.
Man made synthetic crop ‘triticale’ has been found to be suitable in acidic soils, in countries
like: Poland, Kenya. & Mexico, on dry and sandy soils e.g. Brazil, on alkaline and calcareous
soils e.g. Spain, USA, on mineral, deficient & high boron soils.
Methods For Reclaiming Land
- Reclamation & management of saline and alkaline soils can be done through:
Alkali soils usually contain excessive amounts of sodium and therefore have a poor
physical condition. To be reclaimed these soils must be changed chemically and improved
physically. The chemical changes consist of exchanging calcium for sodium and thus leaching
away the Na salts. Application of PO 4 fertilizers is usually recommendable for low phosphorous
containing soils.
- Reclamation of waterlogged land:
Agricultural land is said to be water logged when its fertility is affected by the height
of water table, due to flooding of root zone of plants, ill-aeration results. They can be made
productive by providing efficient surface drainage and sub-surface drainage:
- Pipe/tile drains
- Deep open trenches
- Reclamation of soils damaged by sea water:
Areas near seacoasts suffer occasional flooding by seawater. In such cases soils
have reclaimed by pumping out the excess salts, water & drainage e.g. Netherlands. - Reclamation of mined wasteland:
Mining and its allied works have ravaged the land surface. To reclaim such ravaged
lands species selected should be able to quickly grow and effectively stabilize and improve
the soil. Mixture of grasses rather than woody perennials is preferred.
Reclamation Work In India
In India reclamation of limestone & rock phosphate mines in Dehradun and Mussourie
has been successfully accomplished with the help of Pinus, Ledrus, Acacia sp. The story of
degeneration and regeneration of Jhabua-poor tribal districts of Madhya Pradesh bordering
Gujarat is also satisfactory. It was reclaimed with watershed development in mid 1990' s
under the Rajiv Gandhi Mission. In 1993, the intervention of a NGO, the Samaj Pragati
Sahyog in Neemkheda, a remote Village in Dewas district of M.P. took a number of watershed
development activities. An area of nearly 300 m2 has been reclaimed in Baiera Village
(Kangra, H.P.) by an old co-operative farming society (1965-66).
Conclusion
All these instances show that the regeneration of the environment is possible with
political will, competent and committed bureaucratic support, people’s participation &
enforcement of stringent laws.