Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 11 Economics Notes Chapter 24 Natural Resources of Rajasthan
→ Natural resources include all those resources received from nature which are present in the nearby physical environment of the human being.
→ The form, level and development of any economy depend on the quantity of its geographical and natural resources, diversity, quality and its capability to utilize such resources.
→ Industries get raw materials through mineral resources.
→ Oil, coal, natural gas are the backbone of economy.
→ In this world, the life depends largely upon natural resources.
→ In India, the progress of states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra also depends upon such natural resources.
→ A state’s economic development is ensured by quantitative and qualitative usage of natural resources.
→ Agriculture is the lifeline of Rajasthan’s economy.
→ On the basis of land and climate, Rajasthan can be broadly divided into four parts-
- North-western Desert region
- Eastern Plains
- Central Mountainous Region
- South Eastern Plateau
→ About 61% of the state’s area comes under North-western Desert region.
→ This divisions has 12 districts mainly including- Bikaner, Chum, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur.
→ Some parts of Jaipur, Dausa, Bharatpur, Alwar, Jaipur, Sikar, Chum, Tonk, Karauli and Jhunjhunu come under the
Eastern Plains part.
→ This eastern plains part plays a reasonable role in the economy of Rajasthan.
→ Mainly, Dungarpur and Udaipur districts come under Central Mountainous region. Some parts of Pali, Sirohi, Banswara and Chittorhgarh are also included in this region.
→ South Eastern Plateau is also known as Malwa or Hadoti plateau.
→ The soil found here is black and red.
→ The form of crops in any area depends on source of irrigation, means of transportation, population density and nature of soil.
→ Drought and famine are normal in the state due to scarcity of water.
→ About 13.9% of India’s agricultural land is in Rajasthan, whereas only 1% of water resources are available here.
Water resources in Rajasthan can be divided into two parts:
- Surface Water-rivers, canals, lakes, ponds.
- Underground Water- wells, hand pumps, tube-wells.
→ The main rivers of Rajasthan are- Chambal, Mahi, Banas and Luni.
→ Gandhi Sagar, Jawahar Sagar and Rana Pratap Sagar dams are built on Chambal river.
→ On Mahi river in Banswara district, Mahi Sagar Dam has been built. Hydroelectricity is produced from it.
→ Banas dam has been built on the Banas river in Tonk district and it is used for potable water and agricultural purposes.
→ Two types of lakes are found in Rajasthan- Fresh water lakes and salt water lakes.
→Salt water lakes are used for salt production.
→ Sambhar has a central salt production unit known as Sambhar Salt Limited.
→ Main canals of Rajasthan are- Indira Gandhi Canal, Ganga Canal, Bharatpur Canal.
→ These canals are mainly used for irrigation.
→ Level of underground water is a matter of concern in Rajasthan, therefore the quantity of salt in the water of wells and tube-wells is found to be more, and on the other hand, ponds are dependent on rain water.
→ About 7-8% of the entire surface area of the state falls under forest. Whereas, according to the National Forest Policy, about 33.33% of the land should be covered with forest.
→ In Rajasthan, three types of vegetation are found- forest, grass and desert vegetation.
State’s forests can be divided into 3 parts:
- Reserved Forests
- Protected Forests
- Non- categorized Forests.
→ Dry teakwood Forests, Mixed Deciduous Forests, Tropical Forests, Sub-Tropical Evergreen Forests are the types of forests.
→ Under the twelfth five year plan, 2012-13, about INR 1617.6 crore have been allotted for afforestation.
→ Every mineral is used as a raw material in the industry, and on the other hand, it also increases the state’s revenue and employment.
→ From the point of view of cost of production, Rajasthan is at the 5 place in India.
→ At the prevailing rates, minerals from 1991-92 earned INR 511 crore which increased to INR 21750 crore in 2013-14.
→ Oil regions like Mangla, Shakti, Aishwarya, Saraswati, Rageshwari, Kameshwari, Vijaya, Vandana etc. situated at a distance of 13 km from Baghewala to Tuvriwala in Barmer, are like a ray of light for this deserted state.
→ 60 crore tons of coal has been found in Barmer alone, whereas 35 crore tons of coal has been found in Bikaner.
→ In Rajasthan, the forest policy was initiated in 1978.
→ In 1979, Rajasthan State Mineral Development Commission (RSMDC) was established.
→ Rajasthan Tungsten Development Commission Limited was formed on the suggestion of Defence Ministry of India in the form of RSMDC on 22 November, 1983 by the state government.
→ New mineral policy of the state was declared in 2011, which has 11 objectives.