Informatics Publishing Limited

Gopal Kumar ¹, D. R. Sena ², R. S. Kurothe ¹, V. C. Pande ¹, B. K. Rao ¹, A. K. Vishwakarma ¹, G. L. Bagdi ¹, P. K. Mishra ²

Affiliations
1 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Vasad 388 306, IN
2 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, 218, Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun 248 195, IN

Abstract

Watershed management is considered as a way for sustainable rural development and thus impact evaluation is a must. The common approach of postclassification comparison of pre- and post-implementation satellite imageries for watershed impact evaluation suffers from serious limitations, mainly ignoring the changes which are not due to watershed interventions. To minimize such biases, control area approach is proposed and relative change in watershed compared to control area is attributed to watershed management. The studied four clusters of watershed in Vidarbha region, Maharashtra show that the effect of the watershed could stand out irrespective of pre- and post-implementation conditions of satellite imageries.

Keywords

Advantage Watershed, Change Detection, Impact Evaluation, Remote Sensing, Watershed Management.

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A. K. Singh ¹, S. Kala ¹, S. K. Dubey ¹, V. C. Pande ², B. K. Rao ², K. K. Sharma ³, K. P. Mahapatra ³

Affiliations
1 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Chhalesar, Agra 282 006, IN
2 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Vasad 388 306, IN
3 ICAR Research complex for NEH Region, Shillong 793 001, IN

Abstract

The present study evaluated bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) based resource conservation in the Yamuna ravines at Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Ravine lands are highly degraded dry lands and 3.97 m ha area is affected by ravines in India. One ravine micro watershed of 2.8 ha area was planted with two rows of bamboo in staggered manner as vegetative barrier for the analysis of hydrological and economic aspect of bamboo plantation. Hydrological results showed that runoff has been reduced from 9.6% to 1.8% and soil loss from 4.2 to 0.6 t/ha/year in the last 4 years. Based on bamboo growth performance, average value of culm height and culm collar diameter have been recorded as 3.80 m and 22.50 mm, the value of average crown size and number of culms per clump being 3.93 m and 18 numbers respectively. Further, the soils under bamboo plants improved in terms of decreased pH and enhanced soil organic carbon. The economic analysis suggested a cash outflow of Rs 48,000 ha^-1 from 7th year onwards to the stakeholders in the region, in addition to the benefits accrued to society at large in terms of value of nutrient (Rs 2125-5555 ha^-1) saved through soil conservation. This study recommends bamboo plantation for productive and protective utilization of such degraded lands. It also suggests that the high cost of establishment for individual stakeholders can be met through subsidies and banks' financial inclusion programme in developing countries such as India. Further, public funding can also be routed through appropriate budgetary provisions in development plans of corporate entities involved in the rural development in the country.

Keywords

Bamboo Plantation, Degraded Land, Economic Analysis, Financial Analysis, Ravines.

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V. C. Pande ¹, B. K. Rao ², P. R. Bhatnagar ¹

Affiliations
1 ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation, Research Centre, Vasad-388 306, (Anand), Gujarat, IN
2 ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad-500059, IN

Abstract

Watershed-based interventions have brought a paradigm shift in the resource conservation and production across the rain-fed landscape of the country. Yet some regions still face agrarian distress and Vidarbha region is one among them. The present study explored this issue with a focus on watershed-based interventions. The historical agricultural development and agrarian distress of Vidarbha region were examined with respect to conservation of natural resource and its impact on mitigating the distress and absolving the locals of misery. This study proposed to test the hypotheses that watershed approach of decentralised water harvesting and utilisation are the remedy to overcome the agrarian stagnation suffered by the Vidarbha region. Participatory watershed management project funded by a development agency was taken up as a case study. The watershed programme undertaken in the region attempted to address the water shortage problem, apart from addressing credit needs of the local stakeholders. The programme was evaluated from socio-economic view point examining the impact on agricultural production, income, poverty reduction and migration. The study argued that despite positive changes in socio-economic condition of farmers resulting from watershed programme, the economic gain was too little to push them out of the vicious circle of misery. It was suggested to further strengthen the subsidiary input supply chain including market intelligence and remunerative prices of crop, apart from strengthening the existing conservation efforts.

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