India lost 31 per cent, or 5.65 million hectares (mha), of grassland area in a decade, showed data the Union government presented to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) during the ongoing 14th Conference of Parties (COP). The total area under grasslands reduced to 12.3 mha []–from 18 mha between 2005 and 2015. Grasslands in the Aravalli range in Rajasthan underwent severe degradation, read the report. Other states where land has been severely destroyed include Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, it added.
— source downtoearth.org.in | 11 Sep 2019