Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana - Watershed Component

The total geographical area of Rajasthan is 34.2 million hectares, of which 24.7 million hectares have been identified for watershed activities. Since 1991, the Watershed Development and Soil Conservation Department has implemented various watershed programs approved by the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture, including the Desert Development Program (DDP), Drought Prone Area Development Program (DPAP), Integrated Watershed Development Program (IWDP), and the National Watershed Development Program (NWDPRA). By 2008, a total of 6.7 million hectares had been treated under these programs. To treat the remaining 18 million hectares of untreated area, an 18-year perspective plan was prepared and approved by the Government of India, which sanctioned a total of 1,025 projects to treat 5.7 million hectares from 2009-10 to 2014-15, with a total budget of ₹7,808.86 crores. The selection of watersheds is based on a watershed atlas prepared by the State Remote Sensing Application Center, Jodhpur, which prioritizes watersheds based on the availability of arable land and drainage density. Additionally, watersheds with resource scarcity and populations of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes are given priority. Community participation, contribution to the program, and the responsibility for maintenance of created assets are managed by the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) and the Watershed Development Team (WDT). The WDT consists of four members: an agricultural engineer, an agricultural scientist, a social scientist, and an animal husbandry scientist, who provide technical guidance to community-based organizations. Community-based organizations are formed at the watershed level, including user groups, self-help groups, and watershed committees. Capacity building for sustainable watershed development is achieved through various training programs and exposure visits. The watershed development plan is prepared based on participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and various surveys, including topographical, soil, current land use, water resources, socio-economic, vegetation, livestock, and household production systems. The plan is approved at the village level by the Watershed Association and submitted to the district nodal agency for administrative and financial approval. The projects are expected to be completed within 4 to 7 years, with a funding ratio of 60:40 between the central and state governments as of 2015-16. The watershed management program is crucial for the state, as it creates water harvesting structures that enhance groundwater levels and improve water availability. As of now, 168,000 water harvesting structures have been created, making an additional 14,800 hectares irrigable and treating 78,000 hectares of barren land, while generating approximately 1.2 million man-days of work. Since 2014-15, no new watershed projects have been approved under this program. The PMKSY 2.0 (New Generation) initiative aims to select projects covering approximately 1 million hectares annually, with priority given to certain projects from previous batches.

• Enhances groundwater levels
• Increases water availability
• Treats barren land
• Generates employment opportunities
• Improves agricultural productivity
• Supports community-based organizations
• Provides technical guidance and training

Individuals belonging to the watershed area can apply. All beneficiary categories are eligible, including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Online

To apply, individuals must belong to the watershed area. Applications are submitted offline. For more information, visit the Department Website.