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Ravines is an advanced stage of soil erosion by water. Prolonged inundation and
impact of back water during high floods result in destruction of protective vegetation and
are the main reasons for ravine formation. Depending upon the type of soil, geology,
degree of vegetation cover, topography, rainfall pattern and the run-off from the
catchment area, ravines of different sizes, shapes and depth are formed. Total area under
gullies and ravine land in Rajasthan, as estimated by interpretation of satellite data on
1:250,000 scale, is about 4,47,359 hectares. Ravines have a very adverse effect on the agro-economical activities of the area. Conversion of fertile cultivated land into unproductive ravine land is also mainly associated with many social problems. These are known to provide safe hiding places for dacoits. Due to lack of effective measures of management and reclamation of these areas, their spread had been encroaching adjoining good arable lands and thus, the area under the ravines increased considerably over the years. It has been estimated that the rate of encroachment of arable lands by ravines ranges from 0.5 to 1.07 per cent per year in different situations. |
| Five eastern districts,
viz.Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dhaulpur and Bharatpur have the bulk of the ravine areas.
Other districts affected are Jaipur, Dausa, Jhalawar, Alwar, Tonk, Bhilwara, and to some
extent Sirohi, Ajmer and Banswara. One or both the bank of the river Chambal and its main
tributaries, namely, Kali Sindh, Parvati, Parwan, Mej, Banas, Morel, Ghambhiri, Banganga,
etc. are affected with this problem of land degradation. About 49 per cent of the ravine is owned by the Government, whereas private ownership is about 40 per cent. The remaining 11 per cent is the property of Gram Panchayats. |