Many people will be astonished to know the fact that India, which is a home to 17% population of the world, has only about 2.5 percent of land mass available for such a large number which is 140 crores. To add more to this astonishment, we have a big land mass that is waste land, barren land or degraded land that has been lying unutilized for decades together.
India's geographical area is 329 M.Ha (million hectares) and nearly 175 M.Ha. of it is degraded or wastelands. If we agree that management of resources directly impacts the financial wellbeing of people, this whopping mass of waste lands simultaneously hold a promise and challenge for us all.
I remember that, the great social reformer Dr. Mohan Dharia ji used to say that, these are not degraded or waste lands, but wasted lands. It is possible to make most of these lands productive by adopting new techniques and scientific methods. Dr. Dhariaji firmly believed that, it is possible to make these wastelands productive to generate employment opportunities for millions of people, take permanent care of food and water security, earn sizable foreign exchange, protect a fast-degrading environment and make India self-reliant. As a chairman of High-Level Committee of Waste Land Development, he published a very precious and visionary document named 'Waste Land Development Report' on 7th December 1995 which proved to be the basis for development of degraded and waste lands in India.
Dr. Dharia ji was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1964 and to Lok Sabha in 1970 and 1977. As a minister, he handled several ministries, including Planning, Works, Housing, Urban Development, Commerce, Jute and Textile, Civil Supplies and Cooperation. As a Minister of State for Planning, Works, Housing, and Urban Development, he made his mark as an able administrator. He made a significant contribution to policymaking, particularly in favour of the common man. During 1990-91, Dr. Dharia was Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of India. As a member of the National Wasteland Development Board of the Central Government during 1989-90, Dr. Dhariaji proposed Joint Forest Management (JFM) by involving people to bring more than 16 million hectares of waste lands under additional green cover in India. He chaired the High Level Policy Committee (1995) constituted by the Government of India to consider the problem of nearly 175 M.Ha of degraded or waste lands in the country. The committee made path-breaking recommendations. After retiring from politics, he formed 'Vanarai', a voluntary organization, to develop and harness national natural resources like land, water, forests, medicinal plants, cattle wealth, etc. and the country's human resources. Under his leadership and guidance, Vanarai succeeded in involving thousands of people in rural development. His contribution for nation is immense and deserves to be preserved in the pages of the history of this nation. 'Waste Land Development Report' is his one of the greatest contributions to the country.
Recently, when I was honored with the highly coveted Dr. Mohan Dharia Rashtranirman Puraskar-2023', 1 expressed a wish that this path breaking report needs to be published in the form of a book that will be a reference document for young scientists and entrepreneurs who are shaping their careers in the fields of Environment conservation, soil and water conservation, and waste land development.
I am grateful to Dr. Girish Gandhi ji, an ardent disciple of Dr. Mohan Dhariaji, who has popularized Vanarai's "People's Movement" throughout Vidarbha, for his painstaking efforts to realise my wish and publishing this report in the form of a book. I am sure that, this book will provide an insight for the people to understand the nexus between poverty and the management of resources. It should be treated as a torchbearer for all of us who want to see India as a nation of happy, healthy, and prosperous citizens. I laud this endeavour from the bottom of my heart. I appeal to stakeholders and doers to understand the worth of hidden wealth in the form of wastelands and pledge to start working for a better tomorrow, which will be a true tribute to our Guide Dr. Dhariaji.
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