Soil is the precious gift of nature to the mankind. All the plant family, animal kingdom and human society at large depend upon soil for their sustenance directly or indirectly. Ironically, soil is the most neglected commodity on the earth. Shifting cultivation on the hill slopes, non-adoption of soil conservation techniques, and over exploitation of land for crop production due to population stress, leads to enormous soil erosion. It will take hundreds of years to form an inch of soil, but in no time it gets washed away down the slope due to erosion.
Soil erosion is the process by which soil particles are detached and transported from one place to another through an external agency such as water and wind.
Soil erosion, if left-unchecked, leads to formation of gullies and ravines, depletion of soil fertility resulting in conversion of vast crop lands into waste lands. Rapid soil erosion from the hills to the low lands increases silts deposit in river beds reducing its discharge capacity which often results in floods. Due to impoverishment of the soil, the vegetative cover is lost due to which precipitation is reduced resulting in drought conditions. Soil erosion causes siltation of reservoirs of major and minor irrigation projects which ultimately reduces the lift of the project, decreases the ayacut area, and effects production of hydro-electric power generation. It also affects the flora and fauna of the earth.
Soil Conservation is the process by which the loss of soil is checked, reducing the velocity of run-off through erosion control measures for maximum sustained crop production and for protection of human lift. So conservation of soil is essential for sustenance of human life on the earth.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
For control of soil erosion various soil conservation measures described below are executed in Kandhamal District.
Plantation of Coffee, Sisal and miscellaneous species
The dist. is endowed with required agro-climatic condition for successful cultivation of coffee. As a pilot project, coffee cultivation has been done on the hill slopes in Daringbadi and G.Udayagiri blocks. Coffee plantation is a 3 tier plantation of shade plantation, coffee bushes and ground cover. it is very effective for contorl of erosion besides production of coffee and pepper.
Contour bunding
The uplands are prone to soil erosion due to slopy topography. Hence to check the velocity of the run-off, earthern bund along the contour are laid with water disposal system. This will reduce the soil erosion and increase the soil fertility and productivity of the land.
Land Development
Land development consist of levelling and bunding to enable control of soil erosion and production of more remunerative crops.
Diversion Bund
The uncontrolled discharge from the hillocks cause heavy soil erosion in uplands down below. So a diversion bund is put along the foot hill zone along the contour with proper safe disposal system to protect the land from soil erosion.
Gully control
The gullies are formed due to soil erosion in all types of lands. Gully control measures consists of construction of series of check dams across the gully. There may be brush wook, check dams, rock fill check dams and masonery check dams according to the severety of the problem. These are supported by vegetative measuers. The gullies threaten to engulf adjoining valuable lands and at times damage the roads and buildings. By gully control measuers, the land is protected and in most cases reclaimed for cultivation.
Water harvesting structure
The water harvesting structures are earthern masonery structures constructed across the nallas and streams with provision for adequate surplus and sluice. This will reduce erosion of the nalla and its catchment and allow the water in a controlled way so that the soil erosion down below is controlled. The impounded water also provides life saving irrigation to the lands in the ayacut. It will increase the soil moisture regime around the structure for increased crop production.
Jholla land protection measures
The district of Kandhamal is full of Jholla lands. Water courses cause erosion of soil on the Jholla lands. So construction of earthen or masonery bund accross the Jholla with reduce soil erosion and facilitate cropping of the Jholla land down below.
Stream bank erosion control
Due to slopy topography the discharge entering into the stream from the higher contour through the banks produce lot of soil erosion and at times resulting in landslide. The stream banks are protected with vegetative and masonery measures to check the soil erosion.
Watershed Development
The watershed is the geohydrological unit discharging the run-off to a particular point. The soil conservation measures on watershed basis have proved to be more effective. Hence treatment measures on watershed basis from top to bottom down to the drainageline are taken up under watershed development programmes with active participation of the people of the locality. It consists of basic activities lke nursery, training, research etc and conservation and production system in arable and non-arable land, drainage line treatment and live stock management.
S.C.D.C.
One Soil Conservation demonstaration centre was established at G.Udayagiri to demonstrate various soil conservation technique to the people for adoption in their own lands.
Resource of Finance
Soil conservation activities in the district are taken up with departmental funds under the schemes like watershed development programme, silsal Plantation (TASP), S.C.D.C,Plan and non-plan, watershed management unit TASP and non-plan & N.W.D.P.R.A(TASP). Besides, the DRDA also released funds under EAS, Million-well, J.R.Y, and DPAP schemes.
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