Theme 6-11-Community participation in watershed management - Haryana experience in World Bank aided project.

Abstract

Watershed Management is recognised as the effective way for treating the degraded areas. It has been found to be effective by way of restoring the ecological balance. More emphasis on mobilisation of communities in various activities of the project has found to be highly beneficial in sustaining the assets created. This philosophy was adopted in the Integrated Watershed Development Project Hills being implemented in five States with the assistance from World Bank. This project was started in April, 1990 and its phase ended in March, 1999. After assessing this project as a successful proposition, its second phase started in March, 1999. Major plank of this is to put more stress on community participation by forming Village Development Committees. Cost sharing has been experienced as one of the effective method of the involvement of the beneficiaries. In this paper Haryana experience of the project is being shared.