Key Highlights
- The Ministry of Rural Development has cleared 56 new watershed development schemes, allocating a total of ₹700 crore.
- Collectively these schemes will span roughly 280,000 hectares in ten high‑performing states.
- Core interventions include ridge and drainage treatment, soil‑moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery establishment, and livelihood creation for asset‑less families.
- Targeted outcomes are higher crop yields, rehabilitation of degraded lands, and stronger climate‑resilience for farming communities.
Detailed Insights
Under the second phase of the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY‑WDC 2.0), each of the 56 projects will typically manage about 5,000 hectares, with smaller footprints in hilly terrains such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The interventions are designed to restore soil structure, improve water infiltration, and create sustainable grazing and horticultural zones. By boosting groundwater recharge and surface‑water storage, the schemes are expected to lift farmer incomes while curbing erosion and salinity.
The selected states—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim—represent diverse agro‑ecological zones. The program’s emphasis on integrated watershed management reflects lessons learned from PMKSY 1.0, which documented notable gains in water tables and agricultural output.
Key Concepts
- Watershed Development: A holistic approach that integrates land‑use planning, water‑resource management, and community participation to improve the ecological health of a drainage basin.
- Ridge Area Treatment: Engineering works on field ridges to reduce runoff speed, encourage infiltration, and prevent soil loss.
- Rainwater Harvesting: Capturing and storing precipitation for agricultural use, thereby augmenting irrigation reliability.
- Asset‑less Livelihoods: Programs that provide income‑generating activities to households lacking land, livestock, or capital assets.