The Union government is considering creating ‘village commons’ as a distinct land-use category, recognising its crucial role in rural India’s economy and supporting millions of livelihoods along with conserving biodiversity.
The Economic Survey 2025-26, tabled in Parliament on January 29, said, “Reviving and protecting village commons, therefore, requires a collaborative approach that involves both the government and local communities actively participating. To achieve this, first, ‘village commons’ as a distinct land-use category may need official incorporation with sub-categories.”
The report said such a move would enable accurate estimation, monitoring and informed policy intervention.
Village commons are traditionally community-managed shared resources and are also classified as Common Property Resources (CPR). They include grazing fields, ponds, water bodies, and other areas collectively used by villagers for fodder, fuel, cane crushing, water, and livelihood and constitute about 15 per cent of India’s geographical area.
Citing instances, the Survey said, “At the state level, Karnataka and Rajasthan demonstrate how multi-tiered institutions can effectively systematise the mapping, documentation, and maintenance of databases on common natural resources, thereby enhancing the accuracy of village identification and management of commons.”
It further said that with community participation, solarisation, and the establishment of sewage treatment plants that utilise village waste (such as plastic), effective use of village commons can be achieved. This will address both land degradation and environmental concerns and rebuild their ecological and livelihood functions, it observed.
The document said additionally, a well-structured capacity-building effort for local body officials working in and related to rural areas would be beneficial.
The report observed that according to 2011 Census estimates, India’s common land is approximately 6.6 crore (66 million) hectares, which form biodiversity-rich ecosystems supporting a 35 crore (350 million) rural population.
“Such ecosystems generate an economic dividend of USD 9.05 crore per year, while also making significant contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the reduction of poverty (SDG 1), achieving sustainable livelihoods (SDG 8), and promoting environmental stewardship (SDG 15),” it said.
The Survey added that these crucial lands have gradually deteriorated due to encroachment, misuse, and ongoing pressures.
According to Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) satellite-based observational study, Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, degraded land expanded from 94.53 million hectares (28.8 per cent of geographical area) during 2003-05 to 96.4 million hectares (29.3 per cent) during 2011-13 to 97.85 million hectares (29.8 per cent) by 2018-19, adding roughly 2.2 lakh (0.22 million) hectares annually, the Survey observed.
“The degradation has led to declining yields, increased cultivation costs, depleted water tables, shrinking forests, and the unregulated use of pastures. Non-availability of sewage treatment plants in villages has added another layer of complexity,” it said. It added that such degradation directly impacts rural livelihoods and that reviving the commons would require collective participation and active collaboration from government and local communities.
At present, the government has several restoration programmes including Mission Amrit Sarovar that aims to rejuvenate the village water bodies and SVAMITVA Yojana to map village commons and private properties.
Village pond rejuvenation is being advanced through a combination of national initiatives, notably the Repair, Renovation, and Restoration of Water Bodies under the PM Krishi Sichai Yojana - Har Khet Ko Pani and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain, which together focus on restoring and sustaining traditional water bodies, it noted.