Haryana to conduct impact study on 47 watershed projects

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

In Bhiwani’s Kitlana, a pond has drastically changed the picture of the village with nearly 70per cent of household water flowing directly into it, addressing the problem of stagnation of waste water, increase in crop production, improved sanitation and ensuring free water for irrigation to farmers who could ill-afford to buy it.

Kitlana is among the 490 other villages which has benefitted from the 47 watershed projects being run in seven districts of the state. Having accomplished their mission of soil and water conservation, these projects are being wound up by the end of this month. Started in 2011-12 in 29 blocks, these projects of the Government of India(GOI) under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme) were due for closure earlier this year, but were extended till August in view of the Covid lockdown.

“Once these are over, we will commission a study to assess the overall impact of these projects in their respective pockets. The study will be outsourced and will give us a clear picture on the change that has come about since these were started. Though individual projects do give us many positive results which are evident in the form of changing cropping patterns and availability of more water, we want to prepare a detailed report on the benefits accruing from such projects for the locals. This study will be commissioned once we receive the completion report from the districts,” says Principal Secretary, Panchayat and Development, Sudhir Rajpal.

These projects were part of the first batch sanctioned for Haryana. At present 75 such projects are on in the state. While Haryana got 13 projects 2012-13, another 15 came to the state in 2013-14. The areas, too, are identified by the Government of India based on various parameters, including scarcity of water, over-exploited pockets where water depletion is high, the SC population in that area, contiguous project areas among others and the states have no say in the matter. The GOI carries out its own assessment before allocating a project.

“These projects are run by the Centre in collaboration with the state on the basis of a 60:40 ratio for funds. These have proved to be beneficial in specific areas where they operate since we keep getting reports on how ponds have been revived, crop patterns have changed, handpumps and tubewells have been revived. However, once these are complete, we will have a better perspective from a before and after study,” explains BS Duggal, the Department’s Technical Expert (Agriculture).

        District : projects

• Ambala : 7
• Yamunanagar : 7
• Hisar : 7
• Bhiwani : 6
• Panchkula : 7
• Rewari : 6
• Mahendragarh : 7