ICRISAT Archival Report 2006 - The seedlings of success in the ...

ensure internalization of the suggestions during the MTE. Secondly, we adopted a multidisciplinary approach with
specialized disciplines including social, gender and institutional specialists along with the specialists from
biophysical disciplines. In order to get a coordinated approach to undertake MTE in three states, we followed two
tier approaches where a core group of experienced scientists guided the process to discuss and finalize methods to be
adopted for the MTE such as sampling size, sampling method, survey instruments, analysis methods and strategies
to undertake the MTE. ICRISAT teams visited these watersheds for on-site assessment of the progress made,
conducted meetings and discussions with various stakeholders including rural communities, and studied the records
maintained and reports prepared for various activities in watersheds. Household surveys were conducted with a well
structured questionnaire by involving agricultural graduates from State Agricultural Universities. The broad aspects
covered were: community organization and institutional aspects, planning aspects, implementation aspects,
socioeconomic aspects, the integrated approach followed for watershed development and monitoring and evaluation.
iii. Summary of findings: The major bottleneck in the implementation of the NWDPRA programs is inadequate and
non timely release of annual funds, which was found invariably across all the watersheds in the three States of
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It was observed that enough time-lag should be provided for Project
Implementing Agency (PIA) to create awareness among the community about the program before the inception of
the scheme which is necessary for improving the community participation in the program. It was found that
community participation is high in watersheds implemented by Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) compared
to Government Departments. Social institutions like “User groups” are defunct in most of the watersheds which
needs to be strengthened. Baseline characterization of the watershed before implementing the project was not
carried out for the biophysical aspects including water resources and soil fertility status and socio economic aspects,
which is necessary for identifying various watershed activities and for assessing the impact of the watershed
program. Effective tools and methods should have been engaged to analyze the community needs and expectations
which are missing in all the watersheds evaluated.
Water management issue is being addressed in all watersheds mainly through the renovation of existing tanks,
desilting of irrigation cum drainage channels, construction of check dams, field and stone bunding mostly ignoring
in-situ water conservation, water harvesting and recycling with efficient irrigation systems. It was felt that earthen
check dams with a stone outlet would have been appropriate after looking at the land gradient and carrying capacity
of drains and it could have resulted in considerable savings in the construction costs. Many of the interventions
made in watersheds indicate the lack of proper technical inputs. There is need to improve the linkages with line
departments, research institutions, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and
impart technical training on soil water conservation and production enhancement technologies to the Watershed
Development Team (WDT). It was found that initiatives were lacking for the protection of newly renovated tanks
and desilted drains, where it is absolutely essential to find ways of establishing effective erosion-resisting vegetative
cover (grasses) over tank bunds, field bunds and desilted drains to protect them from further soil erosion. It is found
that Self Help Groups promoted through NWDPRA is active invariably in all three states; however, many times they
were not focused on income generation activities for improving the livelihoods of landless people.
Demonstration plots on productivity enhancement technologies viz., new and improved crop varieties and integrated
nutrient and pest management practices in watersheds needs to be introduced to strengthen the farm production
system. It was felt that exposure on productivity enhancement technologies was missing in all watersheds except
two watersheds in Tamil Nadu. The evaluation team found that there is greater scope for crop-livestock integration
in the watersheds which may be encouraged by introducing fodder components in the farming system.
The evaluation team collected soil samples from the farmers’ fields in all the 16 watersheds, which showed that
wide spread deficiencies of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in fields of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu while invariably
Sulphur, Boron and Zinc were deficient in fields of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Priority 3B, Specific goal 2: Management of the intensification in livestock production is improved to limit the
negative impacts on the poor and the environment
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