In 1988 the Government of India through the Ministry of Agriculture prepared a "National Land Use Policy (NLUP) Guideline and Action Points" after intensive deliberations. The Policy framed suitable legislation and sought for its sincere enforcement by inserting terms such as imposing penalties by any violation. Unfortunately, the Policy never took off. This Policy was revived in 2023 and outlines a framework for sustainable land and water resource management. The Policy seeks to enhance land productivity, prevent degradation, and ensure the coordinated use of land at various levels. One core principle of the NLUP is the sustainable management of soil and water resources to ensure that these critical resources are available for future generations while meeting the needs of the present. This principle emphasizes practices such as crop rotation, organic farming, and the efficient use of water through techniques like drip irrigation.

Since Agriculture is a state subject, the NLUP has remained only a guideline. Meghalaya has never considered it necessary to have a Land Use Policy despite evidence of land degradation which affects agricultural productivity and environmental health. If the State had legislated for a Land Use Policy (LUP) it could have done better to prevent land degradation by promoting participatory soil conservation practices, preventing deforestation, and encouraging afforestation. Not much has been done to improve land productivity where the top soil is washed off by heavy rainfall. As a result, agricultural production has not improved. Effective land use planning requires coordination at various levels and the District Councils and traditional institutions should be part of the consultative process. As of today, factories are set up on agricultural land as has happened in Byrnihat and it has become an accepted practice.

Today the afforestation and reforestation programmes are not implemented systematically and the community is seldom involved. In East Jaintia Hills alone there are 26,000 abandoned rat hole mines that have not been reclaimed. Reclamation of abandoned mines is also an important aspect of the Land Use Policy and eco-restoration. In September 2024 the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd( CMPDI) had visited Meghalaya to engage in mine reclamation but nothing was heard thereafter. This is due to the absence of good governance where we have the right laws on paper but implementation remains a distant dream. Good governance means creating a system where transparency replaces secrecy, accountability replaces impunity, and genuine progress replaces empty promises. Last year the India State of Forest Report 2023 (ISFR 2023) reported that between 2021 and 2023 Meghalaya recorded a loss of 84.07 sq km of forest. The report did not attribute a specific cause for this reduction, but deforestation in the region is often linked to human activities, rampant mining, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, and settlement growth. The rural areas of Meghalaya are experiencing large scale deforestation due to rampant quarrying without any eco-restoration plans being followed. The elected MLAs ought to be thinking beyond their 5-year term and have a vision for Meghalaya fifty years hence. Else as scientists have warned Meghalaya is fast heading towards desertification with 42% less rainfall this year. A Land Use Policy is imperative!