What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?

The steps to be taken are:

(i)Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called contour ploughing.

(ii)Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. Western and central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming.

(iii)Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as strip cropping.