Parts of Odisha turning into desert

BHUBANESWAR: Forest officers have claimed that around 1.5 lakh hectare of land in the state are showing signs of desertification.
It happens due to soil erosion that results in degradation of soil quality, salinisation, decrease in vegetation cover on river beds, land remaining fallow for long and lack of water harvesting, say experts.
Divisional forest officer (Chandaka wildlife sanctuary) Manoj Mohapatra said deforestation alone cannot be blamed for desertification.
"Western parts of the state, which have good forest cover, are also showing signs of desertification. Dried soil and lack of agricultural activities are contributing to it. Lack of green cover is also one of the factors," said Mohapatra, adding, "Less rainfall in western Odisha is rendering the soil infertile".
He said in 2009 the Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad, named Odisha among the five states showing signs of desertification.
"Our state has nearly 55 lakh hectare of degraded land, but all of it does not show signs of desertification," said Mohapatra.
Flash floods result in sand casting over several hectare. In the long run, such land also show signs of desertification, said retired forest officer Akshaya Patra. "Rivers spread the soil over large areas with trees being cut down from river banks," he said, adding, "Agricultural activities are hit due to the presence of sand on the soil".
He added that water table in over 32 hectare of land has gone down in the state, but the signs of desertification in Odisha are different from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.