Published in IIPS Mumbai, ENVIS center, Volume 4, No. 2-3,  July-September 2007

Population Growth and Changes in Land Use in India

Ms Soumya Mohanty*

 

 

Introduction

The population continues to grow rapidly in the developing countries and great pressure is being placed on arable land, water, energy, and biological resources to provide an adequate supply of food and energy requirements. Even if these resources are never exhausted, on a per capita basis they will decline significantly because they must be divided among more people. Land is one such natural resources of a nation on which the entire superstructure is created. Thus, land use is a synthesis of physical, chemical and biological systems and processes on the one hand and human/societal processes and behavior on the other hand. Land is important not only for producing food stuffs, cereals, fruits and vegetables for consumption but also for generating surpluses to meet the increasing demands created by rising population and developing industrial sector, for laying down the transport network, communication lines, for the construction of dwellings and public institutions, etc. Due to unprecedented population growth, man has made uses and misuses of land resources causing environmental degradation.

Again environmental degradation in developing countries like India, especially its manifestations in the form of soil erosion, deforestation etc, is often attributed to rapid population growth. It has however been increasingly realized that since these predominantly agricultural countries are undergoing the process of technological progress and development, many other factors also modify the relationship between population and land. Changing techniques of production, changes in the pattern of land utilization of natural as well as human resources, industrialization, urbanization, changing life styles, rising aspirations, change in consumption pattern are some of the macro level factors which make the relationship between population and land use much more complex.

In India, by mid-nineties, more than 85 percent of the cultivable area had already been brought under cultivation. Taking into account the total land resources including hills, mountains, lakes, rivers and lands of all description, the availability of land per head in India comes to only 0.58 hectare. This is a natural corollary to the population explosion as it is experiencing rapid growth of population particularly in the post independence era. However, not enough is known about the magnitude of these land use changes and the relationship of these changes with population growth.

Trends of Population Growth in India, 1951-2001

Table-1 presents the growth of India’s population from 1951 to 2001 and the urban population and its percentage to the total population for the same period. India’s population growth can be classified into the following two phases:

            1951-1981: Rapid high growth

            1981-2001: High growth with  signs of slowing down of the growth rate.

It needs to be noted that during the decade of 1981-91, the population of India increased by 23.86 percent and the average annual exponential growth rate was 2.14 percent per annum. It was lower than that observed during 1971-81. It can be further noted that the lowering of the population growth has continued during 1991-2001, with the average annual exponential growth rate being 1.93 percent per annum.

Table 1: Trends of Population Growth in India, 1951-2001

Census Year

India

Total Population (in Million)

Growth rate of Population

Urban Population

(in  Million)

% Urban

1951

361.1

-

62.4

17.28

1961

436.4

1.96

77.8

17.83

1971

547.9

2.20

109.0

19.89

1981

685.1

2.22

159.7

23.31

1991

838.5

2.14

215.7

25.72

2001

1028.6

1.93

285.3

27.74

 A glance on the table reveals that the degree of urbanization has been increasing during the post independence period. However, the degree of urbanization in India varied considerably over the decades. India has 62.4 million urban population at the 1951 census, and this number has increased to 285.3 million in 2001. In other words, its urban population has increased to almost five times during the last fifty years. So, the level of urbanization in India is on rise and it has to deal with problems of land intrusions on productive agricultural lands. This is because urban land-uses persistently compete with rural land-uses on the basis of more favourable land rent in free market. Again, higher level of urbanization would automatically lead to greater proportion of area under non-agricultural uses.

*PhD Scholar, International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai-4000 88,E-mail: soumya7@indiatimes.com

 

 

 

 

 

Land use Pattern in India, 1950-51 to 1999-2000

 

Before spelling out the relationship between population growth and land use, it appears appropriate to discuss about the land use data. The collection of land use data in India begins at the village level. The land utilization or land use statistics formed part of the agricultural statistics and the source for these data is the Ministry of Agriculture, which, however, collects primary data from individual state Authorities. The technical Committee on Co-ordination of Agricultural Statistics, set up in 1948 by the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, recommended a nine-fold land-use classification and also recommended standard concepts and definitions for all the states to follow for better comparability and comprehension. Prior to this land use statistics was collected and available in five categories: (i) forests; (ii) area not available cultivation; (iii) other uncultivated land excluding current fallows; (iv) fallow land and (v) net area sown. However, the new categories were formed by further detailing the existing categories. The statement below gives the nine-fold land-use classification.

 

1.      Forests.

    - Area not available for cultivation which includes:

 

2.      Area under non-agricultural uses;

 

3.      Barren and unculturable land.- Other uncultivated land excluding fallow land which includes:

 

4.      Permanent pastures and other grazing lands;

 

5.      Miscellaneous tree crops and groves, not included in net area sown;

 

1.      Culturable waste land.

 

           - Fallow land which includes:

2.      Fallow lands, other than current fallows;

3.      Current fallows.

         - And lastly:

4.      Net area sown. nine fold classification from 1950-51 to 1999-2000.

 

Table 2: Land Use Pattern in India, 1950-2000

Classification

In Million hectare

1950-51

1960-61

1970-71

1980-81

1990-91

1999-2000

Reporting Area for land

Utilization statistics

284.32

(100.00)

298.46

(100.00)

303.76

(100.00)

304.15

(100.00)

304.86

(100.00)

306.54

(100.00)

1. Forest

40.48

(14.24)

54.05

(18.11)

63.91

(21.04)

67.47

(22.18)

67.80

(22.24)

69.02

(22.52)

2. Not available for cultivation

47.52

(16.71)

50.75

(17.00)

44.64

(14.70)

39.62

(13.03)

40.48

(13.28)

42.40

(13.83)

      (a) Non Agricultural uses

9.36

(3.29)

14.84

(4.97)

16.48

(5.43)

19.66

(6.46)

21.09

(6.92)

22.40

(7.31)

      (b) Barren and unculturable land

38.16

(13.42)

35.91

(12.03)

28.16

(9.27)

19.66

(6.46)

19.39

(6.36)

19.31

(6.20)

3. Other uncultivated land

 (Excluding fallow land)

49.45

(17.39)

37.64

(12.61)

35.06

(11.54)

32.31

(10.62)

30.22

(9.91)

28.47

(9.29)

(a)    Permanent pastures and

other grazing land

6.68

(2.35)

13.97

(4.68)

13.26

(4.37)

11.97

(3.94)

11.40

(3.74)

11.04

(3.60)

      (b) Land under Miscellaneous

tree crops and groves not included

in net area sown

19.38

(6.82)

4.46

(1.49)

4.30

(1.42)

3.60

(1.18)

3.82

(1.25)

3.61

(1.18)

      (c) Culturable Waste land

22.94

(8.07)

19.21

(6.44)

17.50

(5.76)

16.74

(5.50)

15.00

(4.92)

13.82

(4.51)

4. Fallow land (a+b)

28.12

(9.89)

22.82

(7.65)

19.88

(6.54)

24.75

(8.14)

23.36

(7.66)

24.89

(8.12)

(a)    Fallow land other than

Current fallows

17.44

(6.13)

11.18

(3.75)

8.76

(2.88)

9.92

(3.26)

9.66

(3.17)

10.10

(3.29)

      (b) Current Fallows

10.68

(3.76)

11.68

(3.91)

11.12

(3.66)

14.83

(4.88)

13.70

(4.49)

14.79

(4.82)

5. Net area sown (6-7)

118.75

(41.77)

133.20

(44.63)

140.27

(46.18)

140.00

(46.03)

143.00

(46.91)

141.23

(46.07)

6. Gross cropped area

131.89

(46.39)

152.77

(51.19)

165.79

(54.58)

172.63

(56.76)

185.74

(60.93)

189.74

(61.90)

7.Area sown more than once

13.14

(4.62)

19.57

(6.56)

25.52

(8.40)

32.63

(10.73)

42.74

(14.02)

48.51

(15.83)

   Source: CSO 2004

      Note: Figures in parenthesis are percentages.

 

 

 

 

 

The main conclusions emerging from the analysis of the data given in the table regarding trend of land use in India during the period 1950-51 to 1999-2000 are as follows. Out of the total geographical area of 328 million hectare, the land use statistics were available for roughly 284 million hectares in 1950-51; however, in 1999-2000 the reporting area is around 306 million hectares. The area, for which data on the land use classification are available; is known as the reporting area. Area under forests includes all lands classed as forest under any legal enactment dealing with forests or administered as forest, whether state-owned or private, and whether wooded or maintained as potential forest land. The area of crops rose in the forest and grazing lands or areas open for grazing within the forests should remain included under the forest area.

There has been perceptible increase in the forest area up to the year 1999-2000. It increased from 40.48 million hectare in 1950-51 to 69.02 million hectare in 1999-2000.  In percentage terms, the area under forest, which constituted 14.24 percent of the reporting area, increased to 22.52 percent in 1999-2000. It is apparently indicative of a healthy land-use management. However, literature indicates that this is not suggestive of a real increase of area under forest but is due to incremental increase of reporting area under forest (Chadha and et. el, 2004). That this observation is not without basis may be clearly observed from Figure-1.

Area under non-agricultural use includes all lands occupied by buildings, roads, railways or under water, e.g. rivers and canals and other put to uses other than agriculture. Land put to non-agricultural uses increased by 11.73 million hectares during the reference period. This does not augur well in our economy that is predominantly agricultural. The increase may be attributed to rise in human population as well as launching of development programmes/projects for boosting the economy of the country and urbanization as well. Land like mountains, deserts, etc. which can not be brought under cultivation except at an exorbitant cost should be classed as unculturable whether such land is in isolated blocks or within cultivated holdings. The area under ‘barren and unculturable land’ has substantially decreased by 18.77 million hectares during reference period. It came down to 19.39 million hectares in 1999-2000 from 38.16 million hectares in 1950-51.  However, when the degree of correspondence between land under non-agricultural use and barren and unculturable land is seen; it is found that the degree of correspondence between the two categories is very high. So, the decline in barren and unculturable land can essentially be attributed to the increase in area under non-agricultural use, which can be seen from Figure 2.Fallow land other than current fallows includes all lands, which were taken up for cultivation but are temporarily out of cultivation for a period of not less than one year and not more than five years. The reasons for keeping such lands fallow may be one or more of the following reasons like poverty of the farmers, inadequate supply of water, irregular monsoon, silting of canals and rivers and unremunerative nature of farming. It witnessed a decrease of 7.34 million hectare from 1950-51 to 1999-2000, which is a sign of better utilization of land in the form of bringing it into cultivation.  Figure  2

 A reverse trend is observed in case of ‘current fallows’, which represents cropped area which are kept fallow during the current year. The trend of current fallow has been fluctuating; during the fifties to nineties the overall increase is around one percent only i.e. 4.1 million hectares. It is discouraging to note that in spite of massive efforts made by the Govt. to increase agricultural production, the area under ‘current fallows’, instead of decreasing, has slightly increased. However, it is encouraging that the area under ‘culturable waste’ decreased by 9.12 million hectare during 1950-510to 1999-2000, which by and large, might have been brought under cultivation.

 

 

 

 

 

Land under miscellaneous tree crops and groves includes all cultivable land which is not included in ‘net area sown’ but is put to some agricultural uses. Land under thatching grasses, bamboo bushes and other groves for fuel, etc, which are not included under ‘orchards’ should be classed under this category. It witnessed a steep decrease by 15.77 million hectares during the period 1950-51 to 1999-2000. It reveals that much of the tree crops and pastures representing common property resources have reduced in significance over time. Common property resources is important in terms of providing fuel supplies, grazing area, employment and income generation options for rural poor as they depend on it for their sustenance. Thus, land under this category is vulnerable for severe degradation (Iyengar, 2003). This is also against the interest of reducing pollution and improving the environmental status of the country.

However, the net area sown in 1999-2000 increased to 141.23 million hectare from 118.75 million hectare in 1950-51, witnessing an increase of 22.48 million hectare. In percentage terms, it increased from 41.77 percent of the ‘reporting area’ in 1950-51 to 46.07 percent in 1999-2000. Share of net area sown increased substantially in the fifties but during sixties and seventies, the share of net area sown increased only by two percentage points, then it has stagnated. The pressure for human beings on land is higher because the net area sown has been around 46 percent of the total reporting area, which has not changed much after seventies but increase in population has trebled. However, area sown more than once, on which crops are cultivated more than once during the agricultural year, has moved up sharply in the last fifty years from 13.14 million hectare to 48.51 million hectare.

Conclusion

   Temporal analysis of population and land use data for the last fifty years demonstrates that population growth in India is now slowing down but its impact on land use trend is quite distressing. The changes in land use obviously reflect the pressure on land resources due to rising population. The distressing features are in the form of considerable increase in land put to non-agricultural uses, rise in fallow land, steep decrease in area under miscellaneous tree crops and groves. Area under non-agricultural use has also grown very fast but not at the cost of cultivable area. It has primarily increased through reduction of area under barren and unculturable waste land. Net area sown has increased much more slowly, especially in the last two decades. However, it is noted that the area under forest has increased substantially during 1950-90 period and it is due to incremental increase of reporting area under forest. Since the country did not have remote sensing technology in the 1950s, one is not sure about the actual lost of forest over the decades. In this regard, Iyengar (2003) criticized the definitions assigned to land use categories in India and the definition of ‘forest’ does not imply that the land under forest has to be wooded. Thus, he concluded from his study that from environmental monitoring point of view, the land use data as they are collected are of very limited use and at times they may be misleading. It is also clear from the analysis that from 1980-81 onwards there is hardly any changes in different land use categories. Thus, the present system of land use fails to capture both the quantitative as well as qualitative changes. There is a need to strengthen the land use statistics in this context, so that, the objective for which it is generated, i.e. to asses the agricultural performance of a region can be fulfilled.

 Reference

Census of India (2001): Final Population Totals, Series 1: India, Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.

Chadha, G. K., S. Sen and H. R. Sharma (2004): State of Indian Farmer: A Millennium Study, Vol. 2: Land Resources, Academic Foundation, New Delhi, India.

Iyengar, S. (2003): “Environmental Damage to land Resources Need to Improve Land Use Data Base”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 38, No. 34, pp. 3596-3604.

Central Statistical Organization (2004)  Statistical Abstract India,  CSO, New Delhi.