Integrated Water Shed Management Programme (IWMP)
PRDIS, as a PIA NGO, is currently engaged in execution of a mega watershed, namely the Vemulanarva WS IWMP, in Kesampet Mandal of Mahabubnagar District, with a total outlay of Rs. 4.5 cr to cover a total treatment area of 4.5 thousand ha., spreading in 7 Micro Watersheds in 5 Gram Panchayats for about 5-7 years.
Community participation can be seen in Entry Point activities like VLPA, Gram Sabha Pics
The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared and approved by project director (DWMA), Mahabubnagar. The entry point activities namely planning and awareness with village level participatory Approach was executed in all the villages. In addition, public awareness was created through Kalajatara Programmes, Wall paintings & Slogans, welcome boards and committee meetings and Gram Sabha. The Water User Associations, SHGs and watershed management committees with Panchayat President as chairman were also involved in the process of developing the plan and creating the public awareness.
The RO (Reverse Osmosis) plants, weather station, soil testing activities, Solar lights, Cattle traffs and animal health camps were undertaken with Peoples Participation and contribution as part of Entry point activities in all the villages. The VLPA, Soil testing and weather station were first time introduced as entry point & innovative activities.
Capacity building activities were undertaken through series of training programmes through watershed committees, CBOs and formers beneficiers of water shed programme. A sensitization workshop was also held for village and block level officials along with panchayat officials, ZPTC, MPPC and MDO. As a part of productivity enhancement programme, Better cotton Initiative Programme was introduced in the selected villages of the mandal in convergence with state Department of Agriculture which has helped the farmers to increase the productivity with reduction of costs, minimizing the fertilizer and pesticide use. The supply chain management and Decent Work were also implemented as part of this programme. This programme has motivated farmers to go for further expansion. The principles of this programme was also adopted in other crops. Thus This intiative has contributed for health and environmental issues.
Awareness Campaigns in the watershed area Pics
Skill development and livelihood improvement activities were also taken up with the support of ni-msme such as Fashion Designing, Bio technology, Agriculture water lift irrigation equipment repair and maintenance and MS office and Internet. The participants were also taken up some of the enterprises for self employment which have improved their livelihoods.
Water conservation & Plantation activities of IWMP programme Pics
The natural resource management activities are the major programmes under IWMP Which will be continued till the end of the programme. So far horticultural plantations, avenue plantations, farm ponds and other soil & moisture conservation activities were taken up. The programme is regularly monitored and guided by the project officer and the technical team comprising of (TO agriculture, Engineering and Social work) assisted by field assistants in all the micro water sheds. Besides this , the PRDIS SMSs also guide the process.
It is the endeavor of PRDIS to introduce more innovations with convergence in the watershed programme so that it can be replicated in other parts of Telangana State.