IWMP:
- The Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development is implementing the Integrated Watershed Development Programme (IWMP) from 2009-10 with an objective to cover 55 million hectares of rain fed land by 2027.
- The IWMP is the second largest watershed programme in the world after China’s.
- Aim: Restoring the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover & water through watershed management initiatives.
- The program is being implemented in all the states of the country.
- Financed by the central and state governments in the ratio of 90:10.
- The outcomes of IWMP are prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground water table.
- This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.
- In 2015, the IWMP along with On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) scheme and Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was subsumed into Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
Other Initiatives Taken:
- Haryali is a watershed development project sponsored by the Central Government which aims at enabling the rural population to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and afforestation. The Project is being executed by Gram Panchayats with people’s participation.
- Neeru-Meeru (Water and You) programme (in Andhra Pradesh) and Arvary Pani Sansad (in Alwar, Rajasthan) have taken up constructions of various water-harvesting structures such as percolation tanks, dug out ponds (Jihad), check dams, etc., through people’s participation.
- Tamil Nadu has made water harvesting structures in the houses compulsory. No building can be constructed without making structures for water harvesting.
Watershed Management:
About: It is the process of implementing land use practices and water management practices to protect and improve the quality of the water and other natural resources within a watershed.
Objectives of Watershed Management:
- Pollution control
- Minimising over-exploitation of resources
- Water storage, flood control, checking sedimentation
- Wildlife preservation
- Erosion control and prevention of soil
- Recharging groundwater to provide regular water supply
Components of Watershed Management Programmes:
- Soil and water conservation
- Plantation
- Agronomical practices
- Livestock management
- Renewable energy
- Institutional developments
