Govt approves 56 new watershed development projects worth Rs 700 crore

The Rural Development Ministry has approved 56 new Watershed Development Projects that will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 700 crores in the ten best-performing states, the government said on Monday.

In a statement issued here, the ministry said the projects will be undertaken in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

"Department of Land Resources announces sanction of 56 new Watershed Development Projects at a cost of Rs 700 crores under the ongoing scheme of PMKSY-WDC 2.0 in the 10 best-performing states...," the ministry said.

"Each project will approximately have an area of 5,000 hectares, but in hill states, it may be lesser. The initiative prioritises visible field impacts by allocating Rs 700 crore to cover approximately 2.8 lakh hectares, ensuring timely recovery of degraded land and efficient utilisation of funds," the statement said.

"These projects would further help in increasing the income of farmers, addressing land degradation and strengthening climate resilience efforts," it said.

The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) is implementing the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) which aims to develop degraded and rain-fed areas of the country, by undertaking watershed development projects in an integrated approach.

The activities undertaken, include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, and livelihoods for asset-less persons.

"The evaluation of the completed projects under WDC-PMKSY 1.0 has revealed significant improvement in groundwater table, increased availability of surface water, improvement in crop productivity and farmers' income. WDC-PMKSY, through these interventions, seeks to ensure sustainable development through improved natural resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change," the ministry said.

In 2021-22, 1,150 projects covering an area of about 50 lakh hectares have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 12,303 crores under the WDC-PMKSY 2.0.