241-Watershed Based Developmental Efforts in Western Madhya Pradesh.

Abstract

Madhya Pradesh have increasingly harnessed the potentials of rainfed agriculture through wider and intensive applications of watershed based treatments. A variety of schemes/programs have been effectively implemented with wider variations across the state. Present paper presents a compiled and cumulative scenario of watershed based efforts put in the state. Attempts have been made to project in depth progress of such interventions for western parts of the state, which constitute about 28% geographical area of state and face most kinds of variations in terms of parameters like climate, physiographic, and natural resources. An updated scenario of watershed based developmental works under different schemes is presented for western parts of the state with quantified targets/achievement under leading watershed programs like Drought prone Areas Program (DPAP), Integrated Wastelands Development Program (IWDP), National Watershed development Program for Rainfed Agriculture (NWDPRA), Rajiv Gandhi Mission on Watershed Management (RGMWM) etc. Under DPAP scheme about 34% watersheds were located in western parts of the state. Year wise spectrum of their coverage and progress is presented. Under IWDP program the western part of the state has got sizeable share (to the tune of about 21%), and covered an area of about 0.097 Mha area in contrast to about 0.5 Mha coverage in state. RGMWM during last 10 years has grown as country's largest watershed management program covering 7600 villages. SWC works on 14.26 lakh ha have been successfully completed, and work is in progress in the remaining 20.12 lakh ha. During 10th five year plan about 32% projects remained in western parts with expenditure outlay of 47% of total allocation for state.