Lok Sabha Question No. 1966 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-27
Subject: Evaluation of WDC-PMKSY
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: RANGASWAMY DHRUVANARAYANA, ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF LAND RESOURCES

## LOK SABHA

## LTNSTARRED  QUESTTON NO 1966 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2017

## Evaluation of WDC-PMKSY

## I  966. SHRI R. DHRUVA  NARAYANA:

SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE: will  the Minister of  RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any assessment or evaluation  has been made about the effectiveness  of erstwhile Integrated Watershed  Management Programme  (IWMP) and Watershed Development Component  of Pradhan  Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (WDC-  PMKSY)  and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Scheme has helped to conserve  precious water resources;
- (b) the details of the impact of the said Scheme;
- (d)  if so, the details thereof;  and
- (e) whether  the task of evaluation study/mid-term evaluation has/have been completed  and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons  of pendency and the targets to be achieved?

## AIISWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAM KRTPAL YADAV)

- (a) to (e): The area development programmes  on watershed  basis were implemented  under various schemes such as the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP),  the Desert Development Programme (DDP) and the Integrated  Wastelands bevelopment Programme  OWDP) since 1995-96,  which were merged into a single modified programme  called  the Integrated  Watershed Management Programme  ltWn4f;  wittr effect  from 26.02.2009.  Since  Ol.7.2Ol5 IWMP has been amalgamated as tire Watershed Development  Component  of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee  yojana  (WDC  PMKSY).

Department  of Land Resources  has sanctioned  8214 watershed development  projects  in 28 S?tes (except  Goa)  [during  the period  2009-10 to 2014-15] coverin!  un ur.u of about 39.07 million hectare  under WDC-PMKSY principally  foi develoiment of rainfed portions  of net cultivated area and culturable  waiterands. -

The activities being undertaken  through the watershed development projec  ts inter alia include ridge area treatment,  drainage line treatment, soil and moisture  coiservation,  rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods  for assetless  persons,  etc.

The projects are at various stages of implementation.  Priority is being  given to qualitative  and timely  completion-  of the on-going  projegts, Administrative  reports of completion of 674 projects have been receiied  r.o.-10 States from I't April 2017 onwards (upto 2 1.07 .2017).

The Department of Land Resources has conducted  impact assessment  studies through the National Institute  of Rural Development  (NIRD), 20ll-12, International  Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid rropics (rcnrsAo, 2008,  and The Energy  and Resources  Institute  (TERI),  2004. The major findings of these studiesinter-alia  include  a rise in the ground water table, increased availibility of drinking water' bringing additional areas under irrigation and cultivable  wastelands under  plough' improved cropping intensity  and reduition  of soil erosion  etc' in the project areas'  The reports of these  studies are available in the public domain, including  on the official website  of the Department of t-and nesources athttp:/ittolr.nic.in/dolri  moniloring-of-evolution'asp'

The Department of Land Resources  has tied up with the National  Remote  Sensing centre  (NRSC),  Hyderabad  for use oi rpu"" iechnology. to monitor the watershed programme.  e g.o-iputial  nortllllmeO  Sfi.tSUrl  is being implemented  and used from 201 5 with the assistance  of NRSC for monitoring  of wateished  projects under the wDc - PMKSY. Boundaries of projects can be vistr-alized together with other information including  satellite  images.  Geo-coded\_  and time-stamped  photographs  ol-n:ar  real time basis  are uploaded  on 6nfSgfl  portal u.ing u mobile  application  DRISHTI  specifically developed  for the purpose. The DRlSHii iouir.  app ii in public domain for capturing photograph,  of u"iiriiil,  togetf'e' with geo-lo""l"^"^:l{time-stamp'  Both tools have been extended to all the States in2016-11-As  on 20'07'2017' about 6'63 lakh photos of activities  undertaken during the implementation  of wDC - PMKSY  pertaining  to 28 States  have been uPloaded'

TheDepartmenthasalsotakenupthirdpartyMolitgling,Evaluation&Learning (ME&L) of the watershed  projects  ,un.iion.d  during 2009-lb  to 2013-14 under  WDCPMKSY and has appointed  three agencies  at the Nai-ional  level  for the North'  west and North  East region,  in zof 5-16.  In uaOition  States  also  undertake third  party evaluation  of the watershed Projects.

As a systemic  improvement,  a protocol on formal completion and closure of wDCpMKSy projects  has been foimulated  by the Department  of Land Resources in consultation  with Ministry of water R.rour""r,  River Development  & Ganga Rejuvenation  and NITI Aayog.  The prot ocol inter alia envisages  to ensure (i) the due completion  of  unfinished -w-orks (if any), (ii) mainten  n"", (iii) security  and  (iv) sustainability  of the watershed  developm.ni p.;ttts'  The completion  and closure protocol also requires the State Level Nodal Agency  to evaluate  the outcome of the project or a group  of projects  in terms of achieve-meni  of each component  sanctioned  in the Detailed Project  Report  and ctran^ge.  in tn", socio-economic  condition of the inhabitants of that area througf., u qui"[] low-cost  / cost-effective  end-line  evaluation' Before  the projects  are formally treated  as closed  by the Department  of Land Resources' the completion  and closure protocol I,;;; U" Outy adoptea  by the States in respect  of the f  rojects'adm  inistratively  reiorted  to have been  completed'