Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is implementing Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) Scheme which aims to develop degraded and rainfed areas of the country, by undertaking watershed development projects in an integrated approach.

The activities undertaken, interalia, include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, livelihoods for asset-less persons etc.

The evaluation of the completed projects under WDC-PMKSY 1.0 has revealed significant improvement in ground water table, increased availability of surface water, improvement in crop productivity and farmers’ income. WDC-PMKSY, through these interventions, seeks to ensure sustainable development through improved natural resource management and better resilience of farmers to climate change.

In 2021-22, 1150 projects covering an area of about 50 Lakh hectares have been sanctioned with a cost of ₹12303 Crores under WDC-PMKSY 2.0.

Taking forward this initiative, Department of Land Resources, announces sanction of 56 new Watershed Development Projects at a cost of ₹700 Crores under the ongoing Scheme of PMKSY-WDC 2.0, in 10 best performing States viz., Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim.

Each project will approximately have an area of 5,000 hectares, but in hill States, it may be lesser. The initiative prioritizes visible field impacts by allocating ₹700 crore to cover approximately 2.8 lakh hectares, ensuring timely recovery of degraded land and efficient utilization of funds.

These projects would further help in increasing the income of farmers, addressing land degradation and strengthening climate resilience efforts.

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MG/KSR

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