The Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) has designed and submitted a project for reclamation of sodic and ravine lands with the title of UP Sodic Lands Reclamation III Project (UPSLRIIIP) to the World Bank with proposed financing from the IDA. The development objective of the project is to increase agricultural productivity in selected areas of degraded lands in UP. The objective will be achieved through reversal of water-induced land degradation, enhancement of soil fertility and improved provision of agricultural support services. It aims to sustainably reverse the process of land degradation and fertility loss, thus enhancing agricultural productivity. By focusing on the reclamation of land for the poorest section of farmers, the project is expected to contribute significantly to poverty alleviation and improved food/nutrition security in the project areas. It is expected to have favorable impacts on the income of farmers and improve the profitability of farm production by enhancing local-level capacities for production as per the market demand and provide post-production support for value-adding activities to enable producers to access non-traditional markets. The project will also help towards closing the “productivity gap” in agriculture in the state by improving extension to promote new agricultural technologies and agronomic practices. The project would be implemented in Allahabad, Aligarh, Auraiya, Azamgarh, Barabanki, Etah, Etawah, Farukkhabad, Fatehpur, Firozabad, Ghazipur, Hardoi, Jaunpur, Kannauj, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Kaushambi, Lucknow, Mainpuri, Pratapgarh, Raebareli, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Sitapur,
Sultanpur and Unnao districts.