'Over 29% of area under degradation'

New Delhi, April 24: As much as 29.32 per cent of India’s total geographic area is under degradation, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday. At a UN conference to combat desertification, he also pointed out that every minute, drylands lose 23 hectares to drought and desertification. The minister said India is committed towards UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  LDN, according to the 110 party UNCCD, is a state when amount and quality of land remains stable or increases to support ecosystem, services and food security. This agenda was adopted in 2015. “In India, total land area under land degradation is 96.40 million hectares, which is 29.32 per cent of the country’s total geographical area,” Harsh Vardhan said while inaugurating the four-day Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop of the UNCCD here. (IANS)