The Ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned 56 new Watershed Development Projects, valued at Rs 700 crores, to be implemented in the ten best-performing states, the government announced on Monday. The projects will be carried out in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim, according to an official update.

(PIB Photo)

“Department of Land Resources announces sanction of 56 new Watershed Development Projects at a cost of Rs 700 crores under the ongoing scheme of PMKSY-WDC 2.0 in the 10 best-performing states…” the ministry stated.
“Each project will approximately cover 5,000 hectares, but in hill states, it may be smaller. The initiative focuses on visible field impacts by allocating Rs 700 crores to cover around 2.8 lakh hectares, ensuring the timely recovery of degraded land and efficient use of funds,” the statement added.
“These projects will further help increase farmers’ income, address land degradation, and strengthen climate resilience efforts,” the ministry emphasized.
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) is implementing the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY), which focuses on developing degraded and rain-fed areas through integrated watershed development projects.
The activities involved include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, pasture development, and support for asset-less individuals.
“The evaluation of the completed projects under WDC-PMKSY 1.0 has revealed significant improvement in groundwater 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,” the ministry said.
In 2021-22, 1,150 projects covering an area of about 50 lakh hectares have been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 12,303 crores under the WDC-PMKSY 2.0. (With PIB inputs)

MT

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