Shivraj reviews watershed scheme, calls for faster implementation to achieve drought-free India

New Delhi, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday reviewed the progress of the watershed development component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and called on states to expedite projects and ensure measurable outcomes on the ground.

Shivraj reviews watershed scheme, calls for faster implementation to achieve drought-free IndiaChouhan said watershed development is an important tool in achieving the goal of a "drought-free India" for a developed India, according to a statement issued by the Rural Development Ministry.

"Watershed development is not merely a programme to create water structures; its real objective is to bring water to farms, increase land productivity and strengthen farmers' incomes and livelihoods," he said. Under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, 1,220 projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares have so far been sanctioned at a total cost of ₹12,404 crore, including a central share of ₹8,134 crore.

Of the central share, ₹6,955.75 crore, or 85 per cent, has been released, the ministry said. Chouhan said the impact of watershed interventions was visible in increased cropping intensity, with nearly 1.40 lakh hectares of land that previously supported barely one crop now producing two crops and, in several places, three crops.

The expansion of horticulture, vegetable cultivation and high-value crops has also contributed to improved livelihoods, he said. The programme has resulted in the construction and revival of 1.24 lakh water-harvesting structures, including check dams, nala bunds, percolation tanks, village and farm ponds, field bunding, trenches and reservoirs, according to the ministry.

These structures have helped conserve rainwater locally, recharge groundwater and improve water availability for agriculture, it said. The interventions have provided protective irrigation to an additional 3.08 lakh hectares, helping farmers in rain-fed areas protect crops during periods of low rainfall or drought, the ministry said.

As many as 28.50 lakh farmers have benefited from the programme so far, while afforestation, horticulture and plantation activities have been undertaken across 1.45 lakh hectares. The programme has also generated 2.85 crore person-days of employment, it said.

Chouhan urged states and implementing agencies to adopt transparent, technology-enabled, performance-based and people-centric approaches and complete projects within the stipulated timelines. He said watershed projects should not be assessed merely on the basis of expenditure, but on actual improvements in land development, water availability, irrigation, cropping intensity, land productivity and farmers' livelihoods.

Chouhan also said the government had sought to turn watershed development into a people's movement through the 'Watershed Yatra' and 'Watershed Mahotsav'. He called for taking watershed development forward not merely as a scheme but as a national campaign for water and land security, agricultural security and rural prosperity.

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