National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
This framework was formulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation in India to facilitate a form of micro-watershed development. A major objective is to drought-proof the land by building water-harvesting structures that would provide drinking as well as irrigation water. The activities undertaken in this programme include soil and moisture conservation measures like construction of check dams, water harvesting structures, desilting of village ponds, treatment of drainage lines/ gullies, land leveling, bunding of farms, treatment of problem soils, agro-forestry, agri- horticulture,silvi-pasture, organic farming, use of bio-fertilizers, value addition and marketing of produce through farmers groups, training & capacity building of staff and beneficiaries etc. Impact evaluation studies both on the ground and through remote sensing techniques have shown that watershed based interventions have led to increase in groundwater recharge,increase in number of wells and water bodies, enhancement of cropping intensity, changes in cropping pattern, and higher yields of crops and reduction in soil losses.