The cultivable land in India has shrunk marginally by 0.43% to 182.39 million hectare in last five years.
This is due to shift in area for non-agricultural purposes such as buildings, road and railways among others.
The total agricultural land in 2003-04 was 183.19 million hectares against 182.39 million hectare in 2008-09, a fall of 0.80 million hectare, according to the government data.
Major foodgrains producing states like Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar and Kerala are also witnessing this disturbing trend as it does not augur well for the agriculture sector
In Punjab, "the food basket of the nation", the agricultural land has shrunk by 0.33% to 42.15 lakh hectare in 2008-09 from 42.29 lakh hectare in 2006-07, according to the data.
Similar is the case with West Bengal and Bihar, the major rice producing regions of the country, where area under agricultural land declined by 62,000 hectare and 1000 hectare respectively in 2008-09 as compared to 2006-07.
Among Southern states, Kerala saw a drop in agri land by 24,000 hectare due to this factor during the period.
Interestingly, Gujarat, Odissa and Tripura remained unaffected.
In order to stop conversion of agriculture land for non-agriculture purposes, the government has formulated the National Policy for Farmers and the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy.
The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy 2007 envisages that projects should be set up on waste land, degraded land or un-irrigated land.
Besides this, the policy has stated that the acquisition of cultivable land for non-agriculture purposes should be kept to the minimum.
