Land use map of India: National Institute of Hydrology

Land is used for agriculture, for growing forests, for grazing animals, for mining, for installing industries and for construction of houses, roads, railways, etc. For sustainable development and prosperity of any country, the proper and wise use of the land is required. The land use depends on the kind of land, its depth, fertility, water retention capacity, available mineral contents, and means of transportation, etc. The use of land for agriculture depends on soil type, irrigation facilities, and climate.  

In India, about 51.09% of the land is under cultivation, 21.81% under forest and 3.92% under pasture. Built up areas and uncultivated land occupy about 12.34% (Kundra, 1999). About 5.17% of the total land is uncultivated waste, which can be converted into agricultural land. The other types of land comprises up 4.67%.

This maps the various land use regions of the country, viz. arable land, forests, non-agricultural, plantation, scrub/grass lands and unproductive land