Agricultural Development Programme | Watershed Development Programme (WDP)

 Watershed Development Programme (WDP)

Watershed is defined as the drainage basin or catchment area of a particular stream or river. A watershed is a geo-hydrological unit which drains into a common point by a system of streams. The watershed approach is a project based ‘ridge and valley approach’ for insitu soil and water conservation. It is a land area that captures and conveys the over flow and runoff to an outlet in the main flow channel. The size of the watershed may vary from a few square meters to thousands of square kilometers. However, the sphere of ‘one watershed project’ is considered to be  500 ha land area. 

The components of the watershed development programmes includes:

 (1) Human resource development 

(2) Soil and land management, 

(3) water management, 

(4) afforestation, 

(5) pasture development, 

(6) agriculture development, 

(7) live stock management, and 

(8) rural energy management. 

Objectives of Watershed development programme : 

• Developing wastelands /degraded lands, drought prone and desert areas on watershed basis keeping in view the land capability, site conditions and local needs.

 • Promoting overall economic development and improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the resource poor sections inhabiting watershed areas.  

• Mitigating the adverse effects of extreme climatic conditions such as drought and desertification on crops, human and livestock population for their overall improvement. 

• Resorting ecological balance by harnessing, conserving  and developing natural resources ie., land, water and vegetation cover. 

• Encouraging village community for; 

(a) sustained community action for the operation   and maintenance of assets created,

(b) simple, easy and affordable technological solutions, and 

(c) employment and development of human and other economic resources of the villages.

The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development is administering three area-based watershed programmes for development of wastelands/degraded lands namely, Drought Prone Areas Programmes (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP) to check the diminishing productivity of wasteland and loss of natural resources.

The DPAP was launched in 1973-74 to tackle the special problems faced by those areas that are constantly affected by drought conditions. Presently, 972 blocks of 195 districts in 16 29

States are covered under the Programme. DDP was launched in 1977-78 to mitigate the adverse effects of desertification. Presently, 235 blocks of 40 districts in 7 States are covered under the Programme. IWDP has been under implementation since 1989-90. The projects under the IWDP are generally sanctioned in areas that are not covered under DDP or DPAP.

Watershed projects are implemented by District Rural Development Agencies/Zilla Parishads (DRDAs/ZPs) through Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs). PIAs could be a Line Department (of the State Government), Panchayati Raj Institutions or a reputed NGO. 

One Project Implementation Agency (Could be Line department of the State Government) handles 10-12 watershed projects covering an area of about 5000-6000 hectares. The PIA is required to maintain a technical team of 4 experts called Watershed Development Team (WDT) . Individual projects (500 hectares) are planned and executed by the local people living in the watershed area called the Watershed Association (WA) through an elected body called Watershed Committee (WC).

The Department of Land Resources has brought out a new initiative called ‘Hariyali’ with an objective of empowering PRIs both financially and administratively in implementation of Watershed Development Programmes. Under  the Haiyali, all ongoing area development programmes namely, Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP), Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) and Desert Development Programme (DDP) are to be implemented through the PRIs.

 New projects under the aforesaid area development programmes are being implemented in accordance with the guidelines for Hariyali from 1 April 2003. Projects sanctioned prior to this date shall continue to be implemented as per the Watershed Development Guidelines of 2001.

In the new arrangement (Hariyali), Gram Panchayats shall implement projects under overall supervision and guidance of Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs). In case, these Panchayats are not adequately empowered, then the Zilla Panchayat can either act as PIA itself or may appoint a suitable Line Department like Agriculture, Forestry /Social Forestry, Soil Conservation, etc., or an Agency of the State Government/ University/Institute as PIA. 

Failing these options, the ZP/DRDA may consider appointing a reputed Non-Government Organization (NGO) in the district with adequate experience and expertise in the implementation of watershed 30 projects or related area development works as the PIA after thoroughly examining their credentials.

The Project Implementing Agency (PIA) will provide necessary technical guidance to the Gram Panchayat for preparation of development plans for the watershed through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise, undertake community organisation and training for the village communities, supervise watershed development activities, inspect and authenticate project accounts.

Other major programmes now being implemented through this approach are the National Watershed Development Project in Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) and the Watershed Development in Shifting Cultivation Area (WDSCA) of the Ministry of Agriculture.