What are the human factors in …

The human activities responsible for land degradation in India are:

1. Deforestation due to mining activities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha have caused severe land degradation. Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is completed, leaving deep scars.
2. Mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry as well as calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generate huge quantities of dust which falls down on land. This retards the process of infiltration of water into the soil.
3. Effluents as waste from industries have become a major source of land and water pollution in many parts of the country.
4. Over-irrigation in Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are responsible for land degradation due to waterlogging, leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
5. Over-grazing: The animals damage the soil surface by eating the vegetation and either digging into wet soil or compacting dry soil with their hooves.  This can prevent grass growing and slow down the percolation of water through the soil. Soils with less vegetation become exposed, drier and prone to further erosion by the wind and rain. In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra overgrazing are one of the main reasons for land degradation.