Which of the following statements are correct with respect to land degradation?
(A) All degraded lands are wasteland.
(B) All degraded lands may not be wasteland, but unchecked process of development may lead the conversion to wasteland.
(C) Land degradation is permanent or temporary decline in productive capacity of the land.
(D) Waterlogged, marshy areas and gullied lands are different types of degraded lands.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (B), (C) and (D) only
Land degradation means that the land loses its power to produce, for example through soil erosion, waterlogging or salinity. Wasteland is land so badly degraded that it cannot be used.
(A) All degraded lands are wasteland. — Incorrect. Not every degraded land is wasteland. Degraded land becomes wasteland only when the damage goes on unchecked.
(B) All degraded lands may not be wasteland, but unchecked process of development may lead the conversion to wasteland. — Correct. If land keeps getting degraded and nobody checks it, it may turn into wasteland. The line prints ‘development’ where the book has ‘degradation’; read it as the unchecked process of degradation.
(C) Land degradation is permanent or temporary decline in productive capacity of the land. — Correct. This is the meaning of land degradation. The loss may last for some time or for ever.
(D) Waterlogged, marshy areas and gullied lands are different types of degraded lands. — Correct. Gullied land is a wasteland caused mainly by nature. Waterlogged and marshy areas are degraded by both natural and human factors.
NCERT (2026-27): “Land Degradation … Land degradation is generally understood either as a temporary or a permanent decline in productive capacity of the land.” “Though all degraded land may not be wasteland, but unchecked process of degradation may lead to the conversion to wasteland.” “There are two processes that induce land degradation. These are natural and created by human beings. … There are a few types of wastelands such as gullied /ravinous land, desertic or coastal sands, barren rocky areas, steep sloping land, and glacial areas, which are primarily caused by natural agents. There are other types of degraded lands such as waterlogged and marshy areas, land affected by salinity and alkalinity and land with or without scrub, which have largely been caused by natural as well as human factors.” |