core sector communique

Integrated Watershed Management for the Promotion
Of Dry Land Farming

For the promotion of rainfed/dryland farming, various watershed programmes are being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Rural Development through integrated watershed management approach. The details of these programmes are:-

Ministry of Agriculture

1. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
2. Soil Conservation in the Catchments of River Valley Project and Flood Prone River (RVP & FPR)
3. Watershed Development Project for Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA)

Ministry of Rural Development

Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP): Integration and Modification of the schemes of Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP), Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Integrated Waterland Development Programme (IWDP). Maharashtra.

In watershed programmes, assistance is provided to farmers for natural resource management activities. Besides, in other agriculture development programmes, incentives are provided to farmers in terms of subsidy for various agricultural inputs/operations. Watershed programmes have helped in increasing production & productivity in rainfed/degraded areas.

Besides, programmes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission on Micro Irrigation (NMMI), National Horticulture Mission (NHM) also accord special focus to rainfed areas for improving livelihood security and agricultural productivity. Research Projects on Dryland agriculture are also being implemented by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA).

This information was given by Shri Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.