Land is a finite resource and hence cannot be thoughtlessly alienated for various purposes without being guided by a land use policy. Land use lies at an important intersection between different competing values and priorities. Decisions about how land is used—and who controls that use—will be crucial to tackling major issues of agricultural land alienation, loss of forest cover leading to climate change, biodiversity loss, social division, food insecurity and more. Land use also lies at the intersection between environmental and social issues. The ways in which we use land can either fuel and broaden social inequalities or level the playing field.
The Government’s proposal to create land banks is ostensibly to pave the way for creation of industries which in turn will provide jobs. But do things work in that order? The cement companies of Jaintia Hills are a good example of how a locally available labour force is unsuited to an industrial work culture leading to companies having to depend on an outside labour force.Who controls land is a major point of contention. All too often, the majority of productive land lies in the hands of just a few. Issues of land rights, land access, and primal and cultural connection to land contribute to this important debate. In Meghalaya there are different custodians over land. They include the Dorbar Kur, Dorbar Raid, the Dorbar Elaka, the Syiems and the District Councils. But it is ironic that despite the presence of so many oversight actors, land at this moment is being siphoned off to a few tribal elite particularly those running the Government. Without a Land Use Policy, land in Meghalaya is being used without any strategic plan. In Ri Bhoi’s Byrnihat land was alienated for an industrial area which turned the place into the most polluted in the country. Merely creating an industrial area without a proper road map as to what kind of industries are ecologically sustainable was a death trap from the word go. The area became designated as an industrial estate at a time when the Government of India was offering a 5-year tax holiday. The idea was to woo industries to the region but at what cost? India’s North East is a biodiversity hot-spot. Can it take the smog of a steel manufacturing unit? Obviously not!
Land use is often a controversial topic, which can polarize already highly divided groups. But there is a need for open dialogue and debate where stakeholders can talk about solutions rather than problems, and think holistically about how land can be used fairly and equitably to provide for our own needs and without choking the planet with fumes. Governments often believe they know best and take unilateral decisions on land use and which land to alienate for what purposes. This is problematic and will be the cause of resentment in the future. Frank and realistic conversations about how we use land are crucial to our future on this planet.Official land use data are useful to indicate land-use trends over time. Such data are also important in a situation where there are no other sources of data available as the State has no land records and cadastral survey. At this point in time a cadastral survey is urgently needed.
