Question.
What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in hilly areas?
( Chapter - 1 -Resources and Development, Cass X NCERT Contemporary India -II )
Answer.
The removal of the top layer of soil is called soil erosion. The reasons for soil erosion are not common in every region. In arid regions, soil erosion is caused by winds and animal overgrazing, whereas in plateau regions, soil erosion occurs due to mining and deforestation.
Water is an active geomorphic agent in hilly areas, so soil erosion in hilly areas is often done by running water. In hilly areas, soil erosion is mostly due to faulty farming practices, shifting (Jhum) farming, deforestation, mining, and other development activities.
The following steps can be taken to control soil erosion in hilly areas:
In hilly areas, the surface is sloping, so terrace farming should be promoted here. In terraced farming, small flat fields are made on the slope. To control the flow of water, carefully stepped fields are made on the surface of the slope. Land with more than a 10 percent slope gradient (if there is an increase of 10 meters in the height of the land every 100 meters, then it is called a 10 percent slope gradient) should not be cultivated before making a terraced field. The western and central Himalayas and the Western Ghats have well-developed terrace farming, however, terrace farming is not well-developed in the northeastern states.
contour Ploughing; Ploughing along the contour can slow the flow of water, thereby reducing soil erosion.
Soil erosion is reduced by growing grass leaves between two fields or between crops.
Pucca bunding (fencing) along the road network and the construction of kutcha bunding (fencing) along the boundaries of the fields can help in reducing soil erosion.
Reducing shifting farming and mining activities will help in reducing soil erosion in hilly areas. Mining and deforestation are the major causes of soil erosion in the Western Ghats which often cause floods in Kerala and the Tamil Coast.
The construction of rock dams is another way to control soil erosion in hilly areas.
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