NATURAL RESOURCES
INTRODUCTION Under its terms of reference, the Planning Commission was required to-
(i) make an assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country including technical personnel and investigate the possibilities of augment- ing such of these resources as are found to be deficient in relation to the nation's requirements, and
(ii) formulate a Plan for the most effective and bal- anced utilisation of the country's resources.
Accordingly, the First Five Year Plan presented an account of the land, water, mineral and energy resources of the country on the basis of information then available. It drew attention to the main problems in each field and set out programmes for further surveys and investigations. It also offered suggestions for strengthening the organisations responsible for these surveys, providing them with personnel and equipment. and expanding programmes of training.
Over the past few years organisations dealing with the survey and utilisation of natural resources, such as the Indian Council of Agri- cultural Research, the Central Water and Power Commission, Central Board of Irrigation and Power, Geological Survey of India, Oil and Natural Gas Commission, Indian Bureau of Mines, Survey of India, Forest Research Institute Atomic Energy Commission, and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and its National Laboratories have been greatly expanded and have undertaken a series of new surveys and investigations. These surveys have resulted in a fuller assessment of the country's natural resources bringing to light the gaps in informa- tion relating to these resources as also their deficiencies in rela- tion to the nation's future requirements,
2. The objective of planning is to raise the standard of living of the people as a whole. The attainment of this objective involves the development on scientific lines of the nation's natural and human resources. Expanded demand for natural resources and materials has led to technological developments which have in part overcome limita- tions and thus increased the supply of resources. The dynamic forces at work in creating shifts in the demand for and supply or natural resources necessitate their continuous study as well as reformulation of policies relating to them. Natural resources must be looked at in a coordinated manner and their investigation and utilisation planned for long-term needs. The extent to which resources have been studied and possibilities established ahead of needs is an important factor determining the rate at which the economy can grow.
3. With the formulation of the Third Five Year Plan, the stage has reached when, as a necessary condition of well-conceived long-term plans, a comprehensive view needs to be taken of the extent and quali- ty of the information available in respect of the country's main natural resources. The principal gaps which exist, the surveys required in this connection, and the further steps needed in relation to specific long range objectives, such as irrigation, power, steel, coal,oil and minerals, land use and forest resources have to be iden- tified. As stated earlier, over the next 15 years, population may increase by about 187 million. Increase in labour force is reckoned at about 70 million, of whom some two-thirds must be absorbed outside agriculture. It becomes, therefore, a matter of the greatest impor- tance that a high rate of economic 'growth is achieved and sustained during this period. Her natural resources give India a large poten- tial for agricultural and industrial production, and their rapid development is an essential condition for the achievement over the next two or three Plan periods, of a self-reliant and self-sustained economy which can provide to the mass of the people continually rising living standards and opportunities for gainful employment. The long- term goals in national and per capita incomes and the development of agriculture, irrigation and power, and the provisional targets sug- gested earlier for industries like steel, aluminium, coat, oil refin- ing, fertilisers, cement and others can only be achieved in time if the nature and extent of the natural resources of the country and the essential requirements concerning their development are assessed and the necessary steps taken well in advance. For balanced development, it is equally necessary to assess availabilities, requirements and possibilities in relation to each of the principal regions within the country.
4. In the Chapters on irrigation and power, forests, indus- tries, minerals and others, an attempt has been made to indicate the main directions in which further efforts are needed to ascertain more fully the resources of the country and the measures required for their more rapid development. The object of the present Chapter is to set the problem of assessing and developing
96 THIRD FIVE YEAR PLAN
natural resources in the context of the Third and subsequent Plans and to explain briefly some of the implications in this respect of the growth of population and of intensive and largescale industialisation.
A unit for Natural Resources has been recently set up in the Planning Commission for studying problems relating to the assessment and development of natural resources and assisting the various agen- cies engaged in the survey and investigation of these resources in linking up their work closely with the requirements of the rapidly growing economy, and generally, helping in securing a common approach in various related fields. This unit will be strengthened as its work develops. In collaboration with other organisations, it is hoped to arrange for coordinated studies of natural resources on a continuing basis, to specify gaps in the existing information, particularly from the aspect of long-term development, and to suggest suitable policies and measures for giving effect to them. Against this background, it is proposed briefly to review recent developments and to indicate the problems that lie ahead in relation to the development of the land, water, mineral, energy and other resources of the country.
II
LAND RESOURCES 5. The most important natural resource of the country is land, which is the base for agricultural production. While population grows, the land surface is fixed, and of this only a certain propor- tion is available for cultivation. Several aspects of the problem need to be studied. Through irrigation and other measures of agricul- tural development, the productivity of land can be considerably in- creased. It is necessary to ascertain the extent to which land now lying waste can become available for cultivation. Increasing popula- tion also means withdrawal of areas now under farms for building houses. Development of communications such as roads, railways, and airways may take up fertile land. Owing to rapid urbanisation and growth of large cities land is needed for parks and open spaces. Irrigation dams may submerge fertile areas. Industrial plants and other establishments also require substantial areas. In all these developments wherever fertile land can be saved efforts should be made to do so. This indicates the need for a comprehensive inventory of land and for greater refinement in land classification and continuous attention to land use.
6. Land utilisation.-The total geographical area of India is about 806 million acres, of which reporting area is about 721 million acres and net area sown is about 318 million acres. The broad fea- tures of the present pattern of land utilisation and that anticipated by the end of the Third Plan are set out in the Table below :
Table 1 : Land utilisation in 1965-66 (area in million acres)
1955-56 1960-61 1965-66
total reporting area 720.0 721.0 721.0
forests 125.6 131.0 132.0
land under miscellaneous
tree crops and groves 13.9 14.0 15.0
permanent pastures and
other grazing lands 28.4 32.0 32.0
culturable waste 54.8 47.0 40.0
barren and uncultivated
land and land put to
non-agricultural use 118.7 114.0 114.0
fallow lands other
than current fallows 30.9 28.0 26.0
current fallows 29.5 28.0 25.5
not area shown 318.2 327.0 335.0
area sown more than once 44.4 51.5 67.0
gross area sown 362.6 378.5 402.0
Availability per head of cultivable land in India is about 0.82 acres as against 0.42 in U.K., 0.48 in Germany, 0.17 in Japan, 0.50 in China, 2.68 in U.S.A. and 2.59 in U.S.S.R.
7. Soil surveys.-Until recently knowledge of soils in different parts of the country was inadequate and the necessary Organisation for soil surveys had not been established. Appraisal of soil resources, involving survey and classification of soils provides the basis for assessing their potentialities as well as their limitations for effec- tive exploitation and rational land use.The main object of soil surveys is to classify and man out of various types of soils, to know soil differences, and to coordinate knowledge of soils with a view to laying down standards of nomenclature, etc. With the aid of these surveys it becomes possible to prepare schemes for the better use of land and to plan, for soil conservation and irrigation and drainage works. In 1955 an all-India soil survey scheme was initiated at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute with a view to carrying out reconnaissance soil surveys leading to correlation of soils of different regions. Soil correlation work involves classification and laying down of nomenclature of soils on a uniform basis and also the preparation of soil survey reports and soil maps. In the field of soil surveys, State Governments are specially concerned with aspects relating to agriculture, forestry, irrigation, drainage, soil conser- vation, etc. Since there are common soil problems covering more than one State and all States do not have their own soil survey organisa- tions, with a view to coordinating work on soils, it was felt that the best course would be to set up laboratories on a regional basis for the four major soil groups occuring in India, namely, (1) at Delhi, for the Alluvial Soil Region, (2) at Poona (now at Nagpur) for the Black Soil Region, (3) at Kharagpur (now at Calcutta) for the Red and Laterite Soil Region I, and (4) at Bangalore
NATURAL RESOURCES 97
for the Red and Laterite Soil Region II. Three years after its inception, the scheme was integrated with the scheme for soil and land use planning drawn up by the Central Soil Conservation Board for the purpose of soil and land use survey in the catchment areas of six major river valley projects, namely, Machkund, Hirakud, Chambal, Bhakra Nangal, Kosi and Damodar, totalling about 78,000 square miles. Surveys in the catchment areas aim at classifying lands into capability classes essentially from the point of view of adopting soil conservation measures with a view to minimising soil erosion, preserv- ing the top soil for cultivation and preventing sediment flowing into storage reservoirs, and thus increasing their life. Soil conservation work in the catchment areas involves detailed surveys in agricultural lands and reconnaissance surveys in other areas. The total area to be surveyed is about 500,000 square miles. By the beginning of 1961, an area of about 18,000 square miles had been covered by both detailed 'and reconnaissance surveys undertaken through the all-India scheme. Of this area, about 3000 square miles fall within the catchment areas of the river valley projects. Soil survey organisations in the States have surveyed about 50,000 square miles. Under the all-India programme, about 23,000 square miles are to be surveyed during the Third Plan.
18. Survey of wastelands.-Agricultural production can be stepped up through extension of area under cultivation by cultivating waste lands, double cropping of single crop areas, and other measures of intensives farming. There is considerable scope for extending the gross area sown by double cropping. It is anticipated that the area sown more than once might increase from about 52 million acres in 1960-61 to about 67 million acres by 1965-66. According to the avail- able land utilisation statistics the area under culturable waste in 1955-56 amounted to about 55 million acres. In June 1959, the Govern- ment of India constituted a Committee to make a survey of land classi- fied as "other uncultivated land excluding fallow lands" and "fallow lands other than current fallows" and to locate areas where large blocks of land are available for reclamation and resettlement. The Committee has completed its survey of seven States. In these, the area of wasteland available for cultivation in blocks of 250 acre or more is reckoned at nearly a million acres. The Committee's findings regarding the present statistics of wastelands are of considerable importance. On the whole the existing data are not sufficiently reliable, and lands classified as culturable waste at the time of settlement often continue to be shown as such in the revenue records long after they have come under cultivation. In the view of the Committee, the mere collection of statistics under the head 'cultura- ble waste' can serve little purpose and detailed information should be available about the types of wastelands in each State, the ownership of such lands, their availability in sizeable blocks and the cost of reclamation measures. The Committee has, therefore, recommended that rapid reconnaissance surveys should be conducted for collecting such information.
9. To sum up, there are large gaps in the information at present available regarding land resources. To secure quick results it is necessary that land surveys using photogrammetric techniques (aerial photographs) should be undertaken, and data on and use, land improvement, reclamation of water-logged, saline and alkaline lands and productivity should be collected in a systematic manner with a view to drawing up further plans.
III
FOREST RESOURCES 10. Out of the total geographical area of 1.26 million square miles, about 274,000 square miles or about 21.8 per cent of the area consists of forests. Due to variations in climatic conditions and differences in altitude a large variety of natural vegetation ranging from temperature to tropical is found in the forests of India. For- ests may be classified as follows :
Table 2 : Classification of forests
percentage
temperate forests
coniferous 3
broad-leaved 4
tropical forests
deciduous 80
evergreen 12
others 1
11. The productivity of India's forests can be greatly in- creased. Forests are among the few renewable resources in nature which, if properly managed, could go on yielding at undiminished rate and for an indefinite period. There is shortage of timber and fire- wood, of raw materials for drugs, paper and pulp and of fodder for cattle.
12. Wood and other forest products are basic raw materials essential for 'industrial development. In the past no proper apprais- al of local forest resources was made and products such as paper or pulp, plywood, tannin, etc., were freely imported . With a view to developing such industries in the country, an appraisal of the posi- tion of such raw materials is a matter of importance. The consumption of industrial wood in India is as low as 0.6 cft. per capita per year as against 16.0 cft. in France and 13.4 cft. in Japan. India's present requirements of industrial wood amount to 4.5 million tons and are estimated to be more than 9 million tons in 1975. As regards firewood resources, in the ordinary course, a demand of 100 million tons is anticipated by 1975.
13. It is essential that a sustained increase in production should be secured from year to year through injtensive development schemes, including selection of high yield areas, planting of quick- growing species, introduction of improved logging
98 THIRD FIVE YEAR PLAN
and processing techniques, development of communications and more generally, the linking of forest development with specific schemes of industrial development to be undertaken over the next few years. While the requirements and supplies of industrial wood are still more or less balanced, it is considered that over the next 10 or 15 years unless special steps are taken, acute shortages might be experienced. This calls for measures for the intensification of production, devel- opment of hill forests, improved utilisation of low grade timbers, economy in fuel wood consumption and systematic surveys of forest re- sources in relation to specific industries. It is also necessary to undertake a survey of forest lands, indicating areas which are badly eroded, those fit for natural regeneration and those where planting should be undertaken. In some areas, specially in Central and South India, there are natural forests with trees which 'have only fuel value. These areas can be covered with valuable planted forests. There is need too for obtaining data regarding forest resources in inaccessible areas.
IV
WATER RESOURCES 14. Water resources may be divided broadly into surface water and underground water. Their development has to be viewed in relation to the need to increase the productivity of land through irrigation, flood control, drainage and other means and also to domestic. and industrial requirements.
15. Surface water.- The annual rainfall over the entire country represents something more than 3000 million acre-feet of water. Of this amount, about 1000 million acre-feet are lost immediately due to evaporation and roughly 650 million acre-feet seep into the soil, leaving 1350 million acre-feet to flow into the river systems. The entire surface flow cannot be utilised because topography, flow char- acteristics, climate and soil conditions impose limits on usability. It has been estimated that only 450 million acre-feet can be harnessed for purposes of irrigation. Progress in actual utilisation is as follows:
Table 3 : Surface water utilisation for irrigation
million as Percent as percent
acre-feet of usable of total
flow flow
upto 1951 76 17 6
upto 1960-61 120 27 9
upto 1965-66 (anticipated) 160 36 12
16. Underground water.: Of the 650 million acre-feet of water that seep down annually into the soil, about 350 million, acre-feet get absorbed in the top layers thereby contributing to soil moisture which is essential for the growth of vegetation. The remaining 300 million acre-feet percolate down into porous strata and represent the annual enrichment of underground water. The total storage underground at any particular time may be several times this amount, but it can be assessed only if a country-wide investigation is undertaken. The actual utilisation of underground water at present is less than 20 per cent of the annual enrichment. Over the past eight years, through a series of ground-water exploration projects, efforts have been made to establish areas favourable to the sinking of tube-wells. For the third Plan, a project including 500 exploratory borings has been accepted. With a view to facilitating the work of exploration and reducing the need for large-scale drilling, it is also proposed to carry out geo- physical investigations. In peninsular India such investigations would quickly de ermine the depth of the bed rock and are likely to give first indications of ground-water availability. A survey pro- gramme is also in hand in Andhra Pradesh for localising areas of underground water where filter points for extraction of water can be successfully drilled.
17. Utilisation.-The major use of water is for irrigation and hydropower generation, but water is also used for public water supply, industrial and navigation purposes. Water supply for irrigation can be obtained both from surface and underground resources.
18. The Central Water and Power Commission initiated in 1954 a study of different basins in the country for assessing the ultimate potential of major and medium irrigation projects. For purposes of this study the country was divided into five principal zones covering groups of river basins, and for each river basin the topography, rainfall, intensity of cultivation, possible storage sites, irrigable areas, reservoir capacity and other relevant factors were examined. Studies in respect of four zones are almost complete, while the fifth has still to be taken up. A preliminary assessment places the irriga- tion potential of major and medium projects at 100 million acres (gross) distributed as follows :
Table 4 : Irrigation potential of major and medium projects:
irrigation
potential
(million acres)
zone 1 : West-flowing rivers (covering river
basins in Kerala, Mysore and Maha-
rashtra State and the basins of Tapti-
Narmada & others) 10
zone 2 : East-flowing rivers (covering the basins
of Tambraparani, Vaigai, Cauveri
Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Pennar
and others) 33
zone 3 : Indus basin 13
zone 4: Ganga basin (covering, Chambal,
Jamuna, Ramganga, Tons, Gomti,
Sone, Ganga and its tributaries) 41
zone 5: Brahmaputra basin 3
total 100