In India, increase in population and diversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, have resulted in the decrease of

In India, the increasing population and rapid urbanization have led to the diversion of productive agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes, such as industrial estates and urban settlements. While the net sown area (NSA) initially increased after independence due to the conversion of culturable waste land into agricultural land, it has recently reached a plateau or started to decline in several regions [2]. Data indicates that between 1990 and 2003, the cultivated area decreased by approximately 1.5% due to competing demands from the non-agricultural sector. Although the government encourages using barren or wastelands for industrial expansion, the pressure of a growing population and the expansion of infrastructure have resulted in a net decrease in the physical extent of land available for sowing crops. Consequently, the scope for bringing additional land under the net sown area is now extremely limited.

Sources

1. [2] INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Land Resources and Agriculture > Land-use Changes in India > p. 23