Why we need more protected agri zones

Declaring the Cauvery delta as a protected agricultural zone (PAZ) was a political masterstroke by Tamil Nadu’s government, for it managed to win the approval of people across all sections. Politics aside, the policy has rekindled the debate on conserving agricultural lands, which are under severe threat from industrialisation across India. It’s likely that TN’s model, if found successful, would be adopted by other states. Puducherry has taken the first step, by proposing to get Karaikal declared as a protected region. 

 

While there are holistic legislations and authorities to protect India’s coastline, forests and wetlands, the same is not true in the case of agriculture. State governments have been ‘simplifying’ the procedure for farm land diversion. As a result, residential complexes, educational institutions and industrial units have encroached upon finite fertile lands across the country. Apart from eating into agricultural land, they destroy cultivation in the surroundings by polluting or sucking out the groundwater and letting out hazardous waste. 

 

A PAZ is thus a welcome decision. It establishes an authority to filter projects that can be permitted in agricultural lands. This is similar to the coastal regulation zone (CRZ), where projects are filtered and allowed depending on their distance from the coastline. While it’s not a foolproof method, it substantially brings down unchecked development. This is crucial in the current context. A report by the UN claims industrial development would eat into 3.3 million hectares of prime agricultural land by 2030 across the world.

In India, a TERI study says India lost 2.5 per cent of its GDP in the year 2014-15 to land degradation. The numbers keep getting worse every year. With climate change and development taking a toll on agriculture, policy decisions like PAZ become inevitable. But banning hazardous industries is just a start. Governments need to go forward and filter out any project that can threaten agriculture. This would go a long way in reducing farmer suicides and improving their household income.