Agriculture and water resources ยท GS3
Watershed projects report wider protective irrigation
One line
The government reported that WDC-PMKSY 2.0 had sanctioned 1,220 watershed projects and extended protective irrigation across 3.08 lakh hectares.
Summary
Rainfed farming depends on how a whole catchment handles soil, vegetation, runoff, and groundwater recharge. Watershed work can reduce drought risk, but a count of structures cannot show whether water lasted or reached vulnerable farms.
PYQ pattern
UPSC can link watershed management with rainfed agriculture, drought, groundwater recharge, soil erosion, community institutions, and remote sensing. See the official UPSC question-paper archive.
Core notes
- The Watershed Development Component is part of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and is administered by the Department of Land Resources.
- WDC-PMKSY 2.0 has 1,220 sanctioned projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares.
- Their sanctioned cost is Rs 12,404 crore. The Union share is Rs 8,134 crore, of which PIB reported Rs 6,955.75 crore released.
- PIB reported 1.24 lakh new or rejuvenated water-harvesting structures and protective irrigation across another 3.08 lakh hectares.
- Reported beneficiaries total 28.50 lakh farmers. Plantation and horticulture cover 1.45 lakh hectares.
- A watershed is an area that drains to a common outlet. Treatment therefore links ridge areas, slopes, streams, farms, and groundwater.
- Strong evaluation measures soil moisture, base flow, crop survival, groundwater, equity, and maintenance, not only expenditure or structure counts.
Prelims lens
- WDC-PMKSY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme component under the Ministry of Rural Development.
- Protective irrigation supplies limited water at a critical crop stage. It differs from assured irrigation for the whole season.
- Check dams, farm ponds, contour trenches, bunds, plantations, and percolation structures can form part of watershed treatment.
- Springshed management is included under WDC-PMKSY 2.0.
- Upstream treatment can affect downstream flows, so hydrological planning must precede scattered construction.
MCQ 1
Which one of the following best defines protective irrigation?
- A. Limited water supplied at a critical crop stage to prevent severe loss
- B. Permanent flooding of every cultivated field
- C. Irrigation used only for plantation forests
- D. Water supplied only after harvest
Reveal answerHide answer
A
Protective irrigation aims to save a crop during moisture stress. It does not promise full-season water.
MCQ 2
Consider the following statements about WDC-PMKSY 2.0:
- It is administered by the Department of Land Resources.
- It can include soil and moisture conservation and springshed work.
- Its success can be measured completely by counting structures.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answerHide answer
A
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Durable water, farm, and livelihood outcomes need separate measurement.
Mains
Question, 10 marks, 150 words: Why should watershed programmes be evaluated through hydrological and livelihood outcomes rather than structure counts?
Approach:
- Explain the watershed unit and its relevance to rainfed farming.
- Discuss soil moisture, recharge, protective irrigation, plantations, and local employment.
- Examine poor siting, siltation, maintenance, unequal access, groundwater rebound, and weak data.
- Suggest participatory plans, ridge-to-valley treatment, remote sensing, field measurement, and user institutions.