Mint Explainer Why Reviving Village Commons Matters To India's Rural Growth Story

(MENAFN- Live Mint)

Amid hundreds of pages in the Economic Survey 2025–26 devoted to India's growth trajectory, fiscal arithmetic and industrial ambitions, a small section flags a quieter but persistent economic drag on rural livelihoods: the steady erosion of village commons.

These commons-grazing lands, ponds and other community-managed resource-support the daily needs of millions of rural households and play a critical role in agriculture, water security and climate resilience. Yet they remain poorly mapped, weakly governed and vulnerable to encroachment and misuse.

Drawing on the Economic Survey and official data, Mint explains why reviving village commons is increasingly central to rural incomes, farm productivity and sustainable growth.

What are village commons and how extensive are they?

Village commons, defined by the National Sample Survey Organisation in its 1998 survey, include community-managed grazing lands, ponds, water bodies and other shared natural resources. Around 15% of India's geographical area falls under this category.

According to the 2011 Census, India has roughly 66 million hectares of common land, much of it comprising biodiversity-rich ecosystems. These ecosystems provide 34 distinct services that support the livelihoods of nearly 350 million rural people, supplying food, fodder, fuelwood, timber, organic manure and seeds. They also deliver non-material benefits such as clean air, water purification, soil conservation, carbon sequestration and flood control.

Together, these ecosystem services generate an estimated annual economic value of about $90.5 million and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly poverty reduction, sustainable livelihoods and environmental protection.

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Why does revival matter for the rural economy?

Reviving village commons is increasingly central to rural economic stability. These shared resources meet the daily needs of millions of households, particularly small farmers, landless labourers and women, who depend on commons for fodder, fuel and water.

"Reviving village common land is critically important, as nearly 25% of the income of landless farmers comes from these resources. In their absence, farmers are forced to travel long distances, leading to a loss of both time and productive labour," said Lakhwinder Singh, professor of economics at the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Thapar University.

Healthy commons support agriculture by recharging groundwater, improving soil fertility, preventing erosion and moderating local microclimates. This lowers cultivation costs, stabilizes yields and improves farmers' ability to cope with climate variability, droughts and floods. Degraded commons, by contrast, intensify rural distress by raising costs and reducing productivity.

Protecting and restoring commons also supports rural incomes, conserves biodiversity and sustains ecosystem services such as water security and soil protection, making them a pillar of sustainable and inclusive development.

"Reviving CPRs can also generate local employment through restoration activities such as pond rejuvenation, pasture development and renewable energy projects, while strengthening community institutions and participatory governance," said Vijay Kuzur, a social activist based out of Jharkhand.

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What is the government doing?

The social and economic costs of degraded commons are felt most sharply in rural areas, where livelihoods remain closely tied to natural resources. In response, the government has rolled out multiple initiatives aimed at restoration.

These include Mission Amrit Sarovar to rejuvenate village water bodies and the SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Yojana to map village commons and private properties. Village pond restoration is also being pursued through national programmes such as the Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies under PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana–Har Khet Ko Pani, and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain.

Combined with tools such as GIS-based registries and capacity-building efforts, these initiatives aim to arrest degradation and enable systematic rejuvenation.

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What would sustainable revival require?

Reviving village commons sustainably requires coordinated action by governments and local communities.

First, commons need to be formally recognized as a distinct land-use category, with sub-categories that allow accurate assessment, monitoring and targeted policy intervention. Karnataka and Rajasthan offer examples of multi-tier institutional frameworks that map and document common natural resources, improving identification and management.

Second, effective utilization can be strengthened through community participation, solarization and sewage treatment facilities that convert village waste, including plastic, into usable resources. These measures address environmental degradation while restoring the livelihood functions of commons.

Third, capacity building of local body officials is critical. Structured training can equip rural administrators with the skills needed for participatory and sustainable management of common property resources.

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