Introduction
Marginal land is the land, which is having minimal to nil industrial or agricultural value. A marginal land will have very less potential of providing profits to the owners as it is characterised by poor soil and unconducive features for both agricultural and industrial uses.
Generally, marginal land is found at the edge of a place where there are a lot of sand deposits, deserts, and other barren areas. Lands that are located at a distance which is considered prohibitive is generally considered to be a marginal one. In India, marginal land can be found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, near Rann of Kutch and Thar desert respectively.
Breaking Down Marginal Land
The worth of marginal land is very low. Marginal land is also referred to as ‘idle’, ‘degraded’, or ‘surplus’ land. It is often characterised by its disability to produce any crop or be able to produce profits in any kind. To be more specific, the crops that would be produced on marginal land would generate revenues that are lower than the cost of renting the land. Typically, marginal land is affected by human activity, such as the pollution caused by the industries. There are instances of land turning into a marginal one due to the insufficient supply of water and steep slope.
Example
A common kind of land which has turned marginal is a land, which was once being used for agriculture or other similar uses that have now been abandoned. These lands are generally characterised by salinisation erosion or very low deposit of organic carbon contents. Unused farming land, pasturelands, and abandoned mines are the most common examples of lands that have now turned into being marginal land.
