Watershed Development

Watershed Development
How Watershed Development started

Have you ever been to India? Well if you have you must be well aware of the varying climatic conditions within the country. These types of changes can impact an agricultural field by not providing the necessary amount of water needed to produce crops. Due to this factor, there tends to be a lot of soil erosion (and sheet erosion).


What is Watershed Development

Watershed Development involves the use of various techniques, such asGrassland development, Gully Plugs, Tree plantation and Contour Trenching on hill tops and slopes, Contour Bunding. Water Conservation structures, Lift Irrigation schemes, and Land leveling. We use natural resources ( stones, soil, etc.) to reduce soil erosion and improve agricultural growth within a field. The use of natural resources is good for the land as it can be found anywhere, and external input is often difficult in villages.

The Process

  1. Villagers should come together and decide what are the plus and minus points of this technique with reference to the concerned village.
  2. As watershed development is not a single point technique, the priorities of different techniques need to decided.
  3. Important part in this type of technique is to identify appropriate types of technologies, under the existing conditions of the villages
  4. Right choice of work and place ensures the success. 


Grassland Development and Trenching can be done with the help of villagers, with the intention that this work will increase water availability in their wells, and to stop further degradation of the common or government land. Plantation on common land will satisfy basic needs such as, fuel wood, fruits, fodder etc.

Benefits

  • People from rural area can get economical returns from agricultural lands, waste lands, lands along hill slopes They can grow grass in hilly area and can use that as a fodder for cattle
  •  Farmers can go for dairy development. Marginal farmers and landless can start small primary industry like that of compost
  • Drought proofing
  • Stabilised agriculture
  •  Improvement in living standard
  • Some techniques are low cost


Which Watershed Technology is best for you?