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 from Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes are given priority. Community participation, contribution to the program, and the responsibility for maintaining created assets post-project are essential. Project implementation agencies (PIAs) can include reputable NGOs, research and training institutes, agricultural science centers, Panchayati Raj institutions, and line departments of the state government. Following the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, all watershed development activities are implemented through elected statutory bodies, namely Gram Panchayats/PRIs. A Watershed Development Team (WDT) consisting of four members, including an agricultural engineer, agricultural scientist, social scientist, and livestock scientist, provides technical guidance to community-based organizations. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are formed at the watershed level, consisting of user groups (based on land and water resources), self-help groups (comprising women and landless families), and watershed committees. Capacity building of CBOs is conducted through various training programs and exposure visits. The preparation and approval of the watershed development plan are based on the PRA exercise and various surveys, including topographical, soil, current land use, water resources, socio-economic, vegetation, livestock, and household production systems. The watershed association approves the plan at the village level, which is then submitted to the district nodal agency for administrative and financial approval. Finally, the plan is approved by the technical committee of the SLNA. The IWMP projects approved under the guidelines issued by the Government of India are expected to be completed within 4 to 7 years. The funding ratio for these projects was set at 90:10 until 2014-15, but in 2015-16, the Government of India included IWMP projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (Watershed Component), changing the funding ratio to 60:40. Given the state's challenging conditions, the watershed management program is crucial, as it creates water harvesting structures that help collect rainwater and increase groundwater levels. To date, 168,000 water harvesting structures, such as check dams, MPTs, Nadi, Johad/talab, Khadils, and tanks, have been constructed, making an additional 14,800 hectares irrigable and treating 78,000 hectares of barren land. Approximately 1.2 million man-days of work have also been generated. Furthermore, areas where the watershed management program has been implemented have seen water availability in dry hand pumps and wells increase. No new watershed projects have been approved under the watershed management program since 2014-15. A total of ₹1,507 crores have been spent on the consolidation of 608 projects. Under PMKSY 2.0 (New Generation), the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, is preparing to select projects covering approximately 1 million hectares annually. Priority is proposed for 205 projects, including 64 from Batch 5 (2013-14) and 141 from Batch 6 (2014-15), which were not allocated central funds and are to be completed with state funds. The revenue maps of the villages included in Batch 6 are currently undergoing geo-referencing and digitization.

• Increased irrigation potential
• Improved groundwater levels
• Creation of employment opportunities
• Enhanced agricultural productivity
• Community capacity building
• Sustainable watershed development
• Improved water availability in dry areas

Individuals belonging to watershed areas can apply. All beneficiary categories are eligible, including all castes and communities.

Online

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