WATERSHED ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT
UNDER RAJIV GANDHI MISSION

INTRODUCTION

At present non-forest lands are prey to environment imbalance due to soil erosion, decline in soil fertility, uncertain rainfall, steadily decline ground \water levels soil moisture stree and excessive pressure on agricultural lands. Keeping this in view, the Government launched the National Watershed Development Programme. The principal aims of the programmes are:

• To conserve and increase soil and water (both groundwater and surface water) resources in rainfed areas. This would reduce severity of drought and would result in a permanent increase in standards of living in rural areas due to rise in agricultural production. Permanent increase in employment in rural areas would follow.
• To develop a store of scientific and technical know-how with a view to eliminating adhocism in watershed development.
• To maximize people's participation in soil and water conservation activities in watershed areas so that the programme is more effective and fault-free.
• To control ecological damage and to improve the environmental bases of resources.

INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

At the district level in Madhya Pradesh, there is a Watershed Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of the President of the District Panchayat. Further, there is a Watershed Technical Committee at the district level under the leadership of the District Collector who is designated as Mission Leader for the district. This includes district level officers of various Government departments as well as NGOs. C.E.O., District Panchayat is entrusted with day -to -day implementation.

For each parcel of say five to ten thousand hectares of land (styled as a "milliwatershed" under the Programme), there is a Project Implementation Agency (P.I.A.) which is a multidisplinary team functioning under the leadership of a Project Officer (P.O.). P.O.s and P.I.A.s are Governmental as well as non-Governmental.

At the microwatershed (villages) level watershed committee (W.C.s) have been constituted. The commitees have elected members and presidents and have the sanction of the village Gram Sabha. Representation of wome