Shivraj reviews watershed scheme, calls for faster implementation to achieve drought-free India

India’s rural development minister has called for faster implementation of watershed projects, saying their success should be judged by changes in water availability, irrigation, crop production and farm incomes rather than spending alone.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed the watershed development component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and described it as a tool for achieving a “drought-free India.” He said the programme should do more than build water infrastructure. Its purpose, he said, is to bring water to farms, raise land productivity and strengthen farmers’ livelihoods.

Under the programme’s WDC-PMKSY 2.0 component, authorities have sanctioned 1,220 projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares. The projects carry a total cost of 12,404 crore rupees, including a central share of 8,134 crore rupees. The ministry said it has released 6,955.75 crore rupees, or 85% of that central share.

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drought-free India

The ministry reported that nearly 1.40 lakh hectares once producing barely one crop now support two crops, and in some areas three. It also cited 1.24 lakh water-harvesting structures, including check dams, ponds, trenches and reservoirs. The structures are intended to conserve rainwater, recharge groundwater and improve agricultural water supplies.

The programme has provided additional protective irrigation to 3.08 lakh hectares and benefited 28.50 lakh farmers, according to the ministry. Afforestation, horticulture and plantation activities cover 1.45 lakh hectares, while the projects have generated 2.85 crore person-days of employment. Chouhan urged states and implementing agencies to use transparent, technology-enabled and performance-based approaches, and promoted watershed development as a national campaign for water security, agricultural security and rural prosperity.

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Watershed development is not merely a programme to create water structures; its real objective is to bring water to farms, increase land productivity and strengthen farmers' incomes and livelihoods