The Hindu : Karnataka News : Watershed programme brings smiles on farmers’ faces

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Watershed programme brings smiles on farmers’ faces

T.V. Sivanandan

The programme has benefited not only farmers, but also landless labourers

GUNJ BABALAD VILLAGE (GULBARGA DISTrict): The watershed programme taken up with assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and under the guidance of MYRADA, an NGO, in three drought-prone villages of Gunj Babalad, Narona and Basavana Sangolgi has changed the agriculture scenario there.

The implementing agencies, including NABARD, MYRADA and Krishna Grameena Bank, have used the women self-help groups, numbering more than 24 in these villages, for framing watershed programmes in these villages and this has brought about wonderful results.

Assistant General Manager of NABARD P.G. Shet and MYRADA officials told a group of presspersons, who visited the villages, that the project was taken up three years ago after noticing problems such as loss of the top soil due to poor land management, fall in groundwater level, low yield due to lack of moisture in agricultural lands and the stream passing through these villages flowing into the fields due to absence of bunds.

They said a conscious decision was taken to actively involve the SHGs in the reclamation work and form water users’ committees in all the three villages, with SHG members as members of the water users’ committees.

The decision to involve the women was taken keeping in view that most of the agricultural work was executed by women and they knew the problems faced by the agriculturists better. The technical back-up for the watershed work was given by experts in MYRADA and State government agencies.

Nandadevi, a member of the water users’ committee at Gunj Babalad, said the water conservation methods taken up in these villages like constructing bunds on the slope to avert the loss of top soil had also helped in retention of the moisture in the fields and also soil fertility.

Ms. Nandadevi, an agriculturist herself, said her own land had suffered due to the problem arising out of loss of top soil and also the stream flowing into her lands.

Now under the watershed programme, the construction of a bund on the slope of her land had provided solution to her problems and helped her reclaim 1.5 acres where she has grown mango and other horticultural crops.

There are many stories of increased yield after the taking up of watershed programmes in these villages. The landless agricultural labourers have also benefited from the works taken up under the watershed programme, as there is assured employment throughout the year, and resulted in the migration of labour from these villages.

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