15.2.11

Gujarat on verge of watershed revolution

Gujarat is on the verge of amajor watershed revolution. Seeking to cover two-thirds of the total cultivable area, the state rural development department will do a complete micro-mapping of each of the 18,000 villages with the help of satellite imagery. The aim is to provide ‘water security’ and increase the state’s agricultural productivity. The Narmada command area, proposed industrial zones and SEZs have been left out. Initially 7.08 lakh hectares were covered last year, benefiting 2.5 lakh farmers. The Centre has now decided to double the funds for developing watershed projects from Rs 450 crore last year to Rs 930 crore this year. “We will now get nearly Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years for watershed projects,” a senior official said. Five states, including Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh, have decided to follow the state. “The Centre wrote to all state governments to study Gujarat’s model,” the official added. International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, operating under the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation, has decided to chip in with technical support. “It will start work at Jamnagar after we made a presentation on the use of hi-science tools,” the official said. The hi-science tools include geographical information system, global positioning system and remote sensing.

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