National Agro Foundation

Watershed Development

Supply Channel Form Pond Water Recharging

As a part of its comprehensive rural development initiatives, NAF has taken up watershed as one of its prime activities.This project is being carried out under the support of NABARD Watershed Development Fund. Currently, NAF is working with two watershed projects in Kancheepuram District.

The watershed area is delineated based on the topographical determinants like slope, water catchments etc. Accordingly, Arasur and Sirukalathur watersheds have been identified and the projects are under way.

Arasur Watershed

This watershed area comprises of 1370 ha . covering 5 villages. The watershed activities are to be carried out by the community facilitated by NAF. To sensitize the community about the need for watershed and also to sustain it, the volunteers from the villages were taken on an exposure visit to Vellore district and were trained to take up watershed activities. Subsequently, the Central and village watershed committees were formed.

This was followed by Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to identify the felt and unfelt needs of the community as well as the individual beneficiary.

As a mandatory exercise, Shramdhan was done by the community to express its interest to take up this project. Accordingly, a temple pond was rejuvenated in Kumili village which forms the ridge point.

Capacity Building Phase

The first phase of capacity building was carried out in 100 ha in Kumili village. The area treatment include d field bunds, farm pond, sunken pond, channel clearing etc. It has been estimated that about 3400 lakh litres of water has been harvested in this phase with a cost benefit ratio of 5:1.Most importantly, the cropping intensity has been doubled.

Plantations

Full Implementation Phase (FIP) is to be carried out in three years covering the balance area of 1370 ha.The total plan outlay is approx Rs.1 crore including the project management cost of Rs. 15 lakhs. The planned activities are lake desilting, check dam construction, sluice repair, percolation pond along with field bund, channel formation, sunken pond and plantations.

Apart from the above, the training and demonstration especially Technology Transfer and setting up of demonstration at the farmers field to improve the farm productivity, SHG livelihood assistance for the landless and poor to take up income generating activity will be the added feature of the Full Implementation Phase.

Sirukalathur Watershed

This water shed covers 1430 ha. Exposure visits have been conducted and watershed committees have been formed. Channel formation has been taken up as qualifying shramdhan. Capacity Building phase is to be carried out this year after clearance from NABARD.