Watershed dev project to benefit 900 villages

Our Correspondent

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Nurpur, January 29

As many as 900 gram panchayats of 10 districts in the state would be covered under the second phase of the Himachal Pradesh Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project (HPMHWDP) to boost the rural economy. This was stated by Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri here today.

He said financial assistance would be given to the beneficiaries under the project. “Self help groups of backward classes, women and landless people will also get special training in agriculture and horticulture to boost their farm yield,” he told.

The Forest Minister claimed the project had achieved its prime objectives in the first phase like expansion of command area under irrigation to 7547.23 hectares, increase in agricultural productivity and cropping intensity along with extensive use of vermicompost resulting in substantial reduction in use of pesticides.

The HPMHWDP is an integrated multispectral project being implemented in the mid hills and high hill zone areas of the state with financial assistance of World Bank. It became operational in ten districts of the state in October, 2005. As many as 600 gram panchayats of 42 development blocks were covered in the first phase of the project which culminates on March 31.

The objective of the project is to reverse the process of degradation of the natural resource base and improve the productive potential of natural resources and income of the rural households in the project areas.

The total project outlay has been estimated at Rs 365 crore in which World Bank’s and the state will contribute Rs 270 crore (80 per cent) and Rs 67.50 crore (20 per cent), respectively.