Director of land resources Neise Mich said the Union ministry of rural development had given the nod for implementation of all programmes for watershed management.
Currently, 41 integrated watershed management projects are being implemented, covering 414 villages in a targeted area of 1,88,000 hectares, with each project having a prescribed period of 4-7 years.
“The department of land resources pledge that using all our resources available, we shall give our best to cherish the dreams of our people in the implementation of watershed management programmes in the state,” the director said. He said watershed management had come to be accepted as the most favoured instrument for tackling scourges of poverty and backwardness.
He said a watershed area was determined by the flowing range of rainwater coming together into a common exit — the bigger the river, the bigger the watershed.
On activities of watershed management, the director of land resources said the two main components of watershed development were economic development and environment management.
“Other integral activities had no limit, including capacity building, livelihood activities for self-employment, self-help group development, entry point activity for community assets, innovative activities and all other farmer-friendly activities,” he said.
He said farm and field activities included plantation and cultivation of all kinds, in-situ soil moisture conservation measures, livestock, development of honey and medicinal aromatic plants and others.
The director said work was implemented essentially with the concept of ridge-to-valley development approach.
Non-farming enterprises included khadi and village industries, small-scale industries of all kinds, including shops and hotels.
Mich said the encouraging experiences and farmer-friendly activities in watershed management had prompted the planners and policymakers to embrace this approach. He said a watershed had more homogeneity of vegetation, livestock, soil water source, climate, livelihood, economy, interest and other resource factors.
“This homogeneity factor greatly facilitates proper planning and effective implementation,” the director said.
Mich said the rural communities living in a condition of stunted economy and identified as the focussed targeted group were the dwellers of the well-defined treatable watershed areas. “They are the landowners of both potential and degraded lands covering vast areas of our country.”
They also constituted the main workforce for all kinds of economic and environment development.