Priorities in Watershed Management Programme

Abstract

Abstract: Soil and water conservation and other related land development works are being taken up on Watershed basis. Whereas it is desirable to completely saturate the Watershed with these works on every land use, but due to vastness of the problem in the Country, and due to lack of financial and other infrastnictural facilities, complete saturation of works in the watershed enables only to tackle a small fraction of the problem areas. Selection of priorities of works in the watershed is, therefore considered as feasible alternative to cover more areas and thus spread the benefits of the programme to larger number of beneficiaries. Programme of watershed development should be people programmes and their participation right from planning stage is essential. Watershed development societies may be formed in the villages or in blocks whose function would be to educate the farmers of the benefits of the programme, help develop management plans, associate in execution of weak and subsequent maintenance. Whereas maintenance of individual field should be the responsibility of concerned beneficiary, the maintenance of community works may be done by the executing agency or block agency. Technical auditing of the works executed in the fields is a must for which suitable amount of budget must be provided at the planning stage itself and the field checking must be done by the agency other than the executing agency.