Watershed Concept

Watershed is a geomorphologic-hydrological unit drawing to a particular outlet. A watershed is made up of number of community components, processes and physical, economical and social ingredients. The deterioration of natural resources in an area can be contained and the total resources in an area properly developed only by adopting the watershed approach. The Watershed approach provides the ideal means for integrated development. It involves the exploration and the development of complex interrelationship between the watershed resources and the population of the region and has opened up new vistas in agricultural development and helped it, improving and stabilizing crop production. In this approach, development is not confixed to agriculture lands alone, but covers the areas starting from the top (ridge) to the bottom (outlet of Nala). 

This involves the implementation of all measures to treat land accordingly. Watershed management involves management of the land surface and vegetation so as to conserve and utilize the water that falls on the watershed and to conserve the soils for immediate and long term benefits to farmers, his community & society. In terms of resource development, it starts from the most important one, which is water and extends to the resource fuel, fodder, livestock and all associated components. 

The basic objective of watershed management is to meet the problems of land and water use not in terms of anyone resource but on the basis that all the resources are independent and must, therefore be considered together. The watershed aims, ultimately at improving the standard of living of common man on the basis by increasing his earning capacity by offering facilities to employment generation, water for irrigation and drinking water supply freedom from fear of droughts, etc. 

The overall objectives of watershed development program may be outlined as below:

  1. Conservation, development sustainable management of natural resources including their use.
  2. Enhancement of agricultural productivity and production in a sustainable manner. 
  3. Restoration of ecological balance in the degraded and fragile-rain fed ecosystem by greening area through an appropriate mix of these shrubs & grasses.
  4. Creation of sustained employment opportunities for the rural community including the landless. 

Newly created Jamtara district of Jharkhand state falls in the drought-prone region. There is a need to harvest surface water for better biomass creation and efficient management of natural resources like water, land, vegetation, etc. Under such conditions, the watershed approach has become the main rallying point to tackle poverty & backwardness as well as to empower the community. 

We worked on Watershed Development fund allotted by DRDA Jamtara to the financial year 2005-06 in one unit of Watershed under Nala & Jamtara Block both. During the year 06-07 three units of Hariyali Project sponsored by DRDA Jamtara, Govt. of Jharkhand in Kundhait Block Jamtara Dist. allotted to S.K.A.V.S. Not any type of fund was allotted to the organization so, only group formation and awareness programs were performed.