Wastelands are lands that include degraded forests, overgrazed pastures, drought-struck pastures, eroded valleys, hilly slopes, waterlogged marshy lands, barren land etc. The main reason for the formation of wastelands are:
(a) Indiscriminate and overutilization of forest produce
(b) Over-grazing of the lands
(c) effects of development projects like pollution, the inlux of wastewater.