Karnataka - Bangalore   

Watershed scheme planned in six districts

BANGALORE: Owing to legal hurdles in the execution of medium and major irrigation projects under the Prime Minister’s package in six districts where farmers’ distress was high, the State Government has now decided to utilise Rs. 1,800 crore by implementing the watershed project programme in these districts.

In the Rs. 2,689-crore Central package announced in 2006 for Belgaum, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Kodagu, Shimoga and Chitradurga districts, nearly Rs. 1,800 crore had been earmarked for minor, medium and major irrigation works. The Centre has opposed the execution of major and medium irrigation projects in the Cauvery and Krishna basins as the State had disputes with its neighbours and petitions were pending before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court on allocation of river waters.

A. Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary (Agriculture and Horticulture), told The Hindu that the Union Government had in-principle agreed to the State’s proposal on utilising the funds for implementation of watershed schemes in six suicide-prone districts. The State Water Resources Department too sought diversion of funds allocated to it to the Watershed Department.

The Centre launched the package with much publicity more than a year ago, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed its implementation during his visit to Bangalore in August.

But the State had not been able to utilise the funds under the package due to the cumbersome procedures involved in obtaining clearances from the Centre.

Mr. Ramaswamy said the watershed project would be executed in the six districts by following a model adopted by the Sujala Watershed Programme, assisted by the World Bank.

The Sujala Watershed Programme, being executed in the State since 2001 with a World Bank loan of Rs. 677 crore in rain-fed districts of Gadag, Dharwad, Haveri, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Kolar, has been appreciated the world over.

In fact, the bank has recommending other States in India and other countries to adopt the Sujala model. About 4,000 hectares have been developed under the project so far.

In six districts, the Government would promote the participatory watershed development programme. The Government would finance social mobilisation and institution building endeavours to facilitate planning and investment activities by local communities. Physical treatment of sub-watersheds would also be implemented, based on selection by the community but within acceptable technical approach. Participatory farmer-driven projects would aim at additional income generation, the Principal Secretary said.

To expedite the utilisation of funds under the Prime Minister’s package, the State has suggested to the Centre to design relief measures not based on felt needs of the households. With a view to alleviating the sufferings of debt stressed farmers, Rs. 50 lakh each has been given to each district and placed at the disposal of deputy commissioners for providing immediate relief.

The State requested the Centre to establish a single window agency to clear all files pertaining to the package. “There is little convergence and synergy among different components of the multi-crore package,” he said.

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