The Department of Soil Survey & Soil Conservation is the nodal department for the conservation and management of the precious soil and water resources of Kerala. The department not only provides scientific database on the soil and land resources of the state for developing suitable soil and land management practices but also implements a variety of projects aimed at conserving and managing these natural resources which is vital for ensuring sustainable development and food security of the state.
Soil and water conservation activities were initiated in the State during the first plan period in 1955. Considering the importance of natural resource conservation, the Department of Soil Conservation was constituted in 1963 with Dr.M.S.Nair as the Director. Subsequently during 1969, the Department was made an independent unit by the State Government, and has been functioning since then as two units viz., Soil Conservation and Soil Survey. While the Soil Survey wing plays a vital role in inventorising the soil and land resources and in the prioritization and delineation of various watershed based programmes in the State, the Soil Conservation wing executes these programmes across the State to check soil erosion, regulate surface flow of water, promote insitu water conservation, control saline intrusion, all aimed to improve agricultural production and productivity.
Recognising the need to protect the soil and water resources of the state and considering the strong link between the activities of the two units, the Government of Kerala decided to amalgamate the Soil Survey and Soil Conservation wings resulting in the formation of the Department of Soil Survey & Soil Conservation, vide G.O.(MS) No.134/2012/AD dated 31/05/2012 of the Agriculture (EB) Department. The Department is vested with the responsibility of inventorisation of the soil and land resources, implementation of various soil and water conservation measures and to synergise the agriculture sector through enhancing productivity for a better future.
