land management and soil pollution

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us.  When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to

use it with love and respect. 

Land management and Soil Pollution

Presented by:-Nivethetha RamachandranPallavi SinghParvathy VallyathanKapil Parulekar

Definition Land management is the process

of managing the use and development (in both urban and suburban settings) of land resources in a sustainable way.

Variety of uses of land which interact and may compete with one another

Need thus to plan and manage in an integrated manner

Importance Land and water basic elements of life

support system Civilizations flourish with its presence

and perish with its decline A part of the Panchabhutas Tendency of overexploitation due to

consumerism, materialistic value systems, short term profit driven motives etc.

Indian Land distribution Per capita availability of forests is

0.08 per ha 75.5 mn ha wasteland in country 58 mn ha treatable Efforts to take 58 years to complete

the process

Land Use and Degradation 41 mn ha land

totally unfit . Per capita

availability of land declined from 0.89 ha in 1951 to 0.3 ha in 2002

Per capita agricultural land declined from 0.14 ha in 1951 to 0.14 ha in 2001

Land use and degradation contd... It is estimated that 174 mn ha of land

(53%) suffers from different types and varying degrees of degradation.

800mn ha land are lost due to ingress of ravines

5000 mn tonnes of topsoil are eroded every year.

In 2004, total wasteland has increased upto 20% of total land.

Management problems Common property Land resource Land use Change Combating land degradation and

desertification Stakeholder participation and

awareness creation Legislation, Policies, programmes and

other initiatives

Watershed degradation Watershed is a geo-hydrological unit

which drains at a common point. watershed management entails the

rational utilisation of land and water resources for optimum production but with minimum hazard to natural and human resources.

Wetland Conservation Programme Wetlands – lands transitional b/w terrestrial &

aquatic system Life support systems Effective in flood control,wastewater

treatment, recharging of aquifers etc. Programme on wetland conservation initiates

in 1987 to identify, and conserve these resources

UNDP project Ramsar Convention

Department of Land Resources

Nodal department created by Ministry of Rural Development

Mandate of developing valuable land resources in India

Issue- dynamic conservation, sustainable development and equitable access to the benefits of intervention

WALMI Institute and research centre in state

for land and water management Provides training for efficient land

management to engineers New technology in irrigation and

construction of dams, roads and canals

Strategies for sustainable land management

Practices Requiring Change Greater Aboriginal involvement and

respect: Improved communication: Management of commercial activities.

Support Required recording ecological knowledge   developing and implementing

management plans for vulnerable resources;

Strategies contd... Land-use planning  Flood control   Urbanization   Water management Long-term funding : ( Mining

industry) Wasteland management

Soil Pollution Soil pollution refers to addition of solid and liquid

wastes to soil creating imbalance in its natural composition and functions.

Caused by the presence of xenobiotic (man-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment

Also caused by agricultural runoff waters, industrial waste materials, acidic precipitates, and radioactive fallout

Continued… Pollution of soils with materials, mostly chemicals,

that are out of place or are present at concentrations higher than normal which may have adverse effects on humans or other organisms

Soil pollutants include metals and their compounds, organic chemicals, oils and tars, pesticides, explosive and toxic gases, radioactive materials, biologically active materials, combustible materials, asbestos and other hazardous materials. 

Released through disposal of domestic and industrial waste in designated landfills or uncontrolled dumps

Types of Soil Pollution Agricultural

Pollution of surface soil Pollution of underground soil

Soil pollution by industrial effluents and solid wastes

Pollution of surface soil Disturbances in soil profile

Pollution due to urban activities Pollution of surface soil Pollution of underground soil

Causes Increase in urbanization, forests

encroached by construction Disposal of non bio degradable wastes Agricultural wastes, pesticides, fertilizers Unfavorable and harmful irrigation

practices- check more on this pt!!!!!!! Mining- piles of coal and slag Industrial wastes- chemicals and paints Improper treatment of sewage-

accumulation of solid wastes, biomass sludge

Effects Water pollution through seepage to underground

level or contaminated runoff reaches streams or oceans

Air pollution- release of volatile compounds.Eg. nitrogen , sulphur

Sewage sludge- heavy metals, unable to support plant life

Non water soluble chemicals in soil- accumulate in food chain

Uptake of contaminants by plants Corrosion of underground pipelines and buildings Increased erosion of surface soil Reduced crop yields – loss of fertility

Effects - Agricultural Reduced soil fertility Reduced nitrogen fixation Increased erodibility Larger loss of soil and nutrients Deposition of silt in tanks and

reservoirs Reduced crop yield Imbalance in soil fauna and flora

Effects - Industrial Dangerous chemicals entering

underground water Ecological imbalance Release of pollutant gases Release of radioactive rays

causing health problems Increased salinity Reduced vegetation

Effects - Urban Clogging of drains Inundation of areas Public health problems Pollution of drinking water sources Foul smell and release of gases Waste management problems

Effects - Health Affects health through contact or through

inhalation of vaporized contaminants Contamination of underground water through

penetration Carcinogenic or congenital disorder- exposure to

metals like chromium, lead, petroleum etc. Leukemia- benzene Kidney damage- mercury and cyclodienes liver changes, kidney changes and depression of

the central nervous system induced by chlorinated solvents

headache, nausea, fatigue, eye irritation, skin rash  or even death

Health of soil too is affected !!!

Control of Soil Pollution Ban on use of plastic bags (below 20 microns

thickness)ftpiuohy Recycling of plastic wastes to manufacture

many 'remake' items Ban on deforestation Encouraging forest re-plantation programmes Encouraging social and agro forestry

programmes Undertaking many pollution awareness

programmes

“The Earth has enough for everybody’s need

but not for everybody’s greed”

- Mahatma Gandhi