Watershed programmes alter face of rural Tamil Nadu

 J.V. Siva Prasanna Kumar

Chennai: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development's (NABARD's) watershed development programme has helped script a success story in rural Tamil Nadu by introducing effective management practices in agriculture and water and soil conservation measures.

It facilitated provision of employment to the agricultural labourers and rural women. "15 percent of the project funds are utilised to provide employment to women and agricultural labourers, as a special component of the programme," says V. Maruthi Ram, deputy general manager of NABARD.

Speaking to this newspaper on Tuesday he said the programme has led to improvement of tree cover in the locality. A notable feature was machines were not used for digging trenches or ponds and the locals are given preference in providing employment though the villagers were expected to provide shramdhan for four days, he added. Grazing of grass or felling of trees in the locality was banned.

The role of Non Governmental Organisations is crucial. A total of 50 NGOs, which are involved, ensure the participation of the villagers and once the project is completed within five years, NABARD withdraws its support and the watershed would be maintained by village watershed committees.

"The groundwater level has gone up in several areas. Enthused over this, farmers have switched from raising traditional crops to growing crops that are more remunerative.

In Nilakottai in Dingidul district in the State, for instance, the acreage under crop cultivation improved leading to increase in productivity. People have taken land on lease for cultivation," he says.

Micro planning and management of available water, harvesting rainwater by establishing percolation ponds, desilting canals and tanks, soil conservation, raising nursery, afforestation of degraded lands are some of the salient features of the project.

Field bunds, rock check dams, farm ponds, water absorption trenches, agro forestry, dry land horticulture are also taken up. Effective water management is propagated through drip irrigation.

The farming community is made aware of the adverse effects of employing chemical fertilisers and how this affected the health of the watershed community, the importance of taking up environment protection and proper use of natural resources.

NABARD has been implementing the programme since 2001 with the help of corpus fund created with Rs.100 crores and a matching grant given by the Central government.

A total of 74 projects have been sanctioned for 24 districts in the State for this fiscal at the rate of Rs.6 lakhs per 100 hectare covering two to four villages. 30 proposals are under consideration.

E.o.m.25.02.07.