Q. Elaborate the impact of National Watershed Project in increasing agricultural production from water-stressed areas.
Model Answer
Effective use of land and water is fundamental to growth and sustainable development. The concept of watershed management has evolved to ensure effective use of both natural and social capitals.
The watershed development programmes include – land, water and human resources as essential components.
The watershed programme is primarily a land-based programme, which is increasingly being focused on water, with its main objective being to enhance agricultural productivity through increased in situ moisture conservation and protective irrigation for socio-economic development of rural people.
It has been essential in a country like India where majority of the population depends on agriculture and about 60 percent of total arable land (142 million ha) in the country is rain-fed. A large portion of the rain-fed areas (65% of arable land) in India is characterized by low productivity, high risk and uncertainty, low level of technological change and vulnerability to degradation of natural resources
Watershed Development Programmes (WDPs) have been accorded high priority in India’s development plans. These programmes have been initiated in India to improve and sustain productivity and the production potential of the dry and semi-arid regions of the country through the adoption of appropriate production and conservation techniques.
IMPACT OF WATERSHED PROGRAMME IN INCREASING AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION
- WDPs have helped improving land use pattern and agricultural productivity across different watershed regions.
- On an average about 60% of the cultivable wastelands in Himachal Pradesh especially, which are nearby the newly developed irrigation structures are put into use i.e. cultivation started in these wastelands due to WDPs.
- In Jaipur, the average net sown area has increased from 333.29 Ha to 346.71 Ha.
- Madhya Pradesh has obtained noticeable changes in the land use pattern with most villages in the watershed areas in Guna, Narsinghpur, Seoni and Sehore reported to have positive trend.
- About 613 Ha more land is brought under cultivation due to increased water level. In Yavatmal there is some change in land use pattern. 10% increase in net sown area observed after the watershed programme implemented.
IMPACT OF WATERSHED PRODUCTION ON CROPING PATTERN AND PRODUCTIVITY
With available water harvesting structure farmers are inclined to new cropping pattern and agricultural diversification. Both agricultural diversification and intensification lead to increase in agricultural productivity in the regions where watershed programmes are effective
- Vegetable cultivation is popular where there is adequate water or irrigation facility available. However, very less people are interested so far to take up micro enterprises’ initiatives.
- Crop diversification in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat has not received any substantial attention by the farmers even after implementation of the watershed programmes.
- The Jammu & Kashmir there are marked changes in crop diversification despite the fact that there is no proper investment in this regard.
- Rajasthan, in majority of the watershed areas there is change in crop diversification but the quantum of diversification is not properly reported by the evaluating agencies.
- In districts like, Nalgonda, Medak, Warangal, Khammam and East Godavari. In rain fed areas, the cropping intensity has been increased by 20% or less than 20%
- The increase in moisture availability in soil and extending in irrigation from surface as well as from ground water the average cropping intensity increased by 100% through inter-cropping, double cropping and relay cropping.
- Increase in residual moisture content due to contour bunding helping in crop growth and yield
- Loosening the hard strata, thus increase in infiltration of water and easy penetration of roots due to land development activities like levelling and tillage
- Decrease in soil erosion and hence protection of fertile top soil due to contour bunding
- Increase of ground water and supplemental irrigation due to water harvesting structures
- In Rajasthan increased moisture retention and water availability for irrigation resulted into increase in cash crop production
- In Baran district it was reported that there is increase in cash crop from 20-25% in kharif as well as rabi seasons
- Nearly 86% respondents viewed that there is increase in yield of cash crop production, in MP.
- In Himachal Pradesh, the yield from cash crops has exceeded the yielding from other varieties among the Small Medium farmers and large and medium farmers.
- There is also increase in production of milk due to watershed development programmes in many regions of India.