Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.No.1. What is the definition of wasteland?

Ans.
According to erstwhile National Wastelands Development Board (NWDB), the
wasteland is described as degraded land, which can be brought under vegetative cover
with reasonable effort, and which is currently under-utilized and land which is
deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil management or on account of
natural causes. Wastelands can result from inherent/imposed disabilities such as by
location, environment, chemical and physical properties of the soil or financial or
management constraints. Q.No.2: What is the extent of wastelands in the country?
How much of it can be treated?
Ans:

According to Wastelands Atlas of India (2005), 55.27 Million ha. area has been
delineated as wastelands in the country. Out of this, 43.152 Million ha. is treatable
wasteland which consists of :

Area under degraded forests

: 12.655 Million ha.

Area of treatable non-forest wastelands

: 30.497 Million ha.

Q.No.3. What is Distribution of wastelands in India?

Ans:
As per Wasteland Atlas (2005), high percentage of area under wastelands in Jammu
and Kashmir (69.24%), Himachal Pradesh (50.90%), are due to snow cover and
degraded forest; Nagaland (22.37%), Manipur (59.01%), Mizoram (21.20%) are due to
prevalent shifting cultivation, Sikkim (53.67%) is due to degraded forest and in
Rajasthan (29.64%) is due to sandy areas. Among all the States, Punjab has the
minimum (2.33%) and Jammu & Kashmir has the maximum (69.24%) area under
wastelands.
Q.No.4 What is Watershed?
Ans.
A Watershed is a geo-hydrological unit or an area that drains at a common point.
Q.No.5. What is watershed approach?
Ans.:
A Watershed is a topographically delineated area that is drained by a stream system.
Watershed is made up of its physical and hydrological natural resources as well as
human resources. Management of a watershed thus entails the rational utilization of
land and water resources for optimum production but with minimum hazard to natural
and human resources. Therefore, watershed management is the process of guiding and
organizing land use and use of other resources in a watershed to provide desired goods
and services without adversely affecting soil and water resources. Embedded in this
concept is the recognition of the interrelationships among land use, soil and water and
the linkages between uplands and downstream areas.
Each project under the programme is a micro level effort to achieve this objective
through treating the underproductive and hitherto unproductive land and taking up
allied activities for the benefit of landless. The programmes adopt a common strategy
of multi-resource management involving all stakeholders within the watershed, who
together as a group, co-operatively identify the resource issues and concerns of the
watershed as well as develop and implement a watershed plan with solutions that are
environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

Q.No.6. What is the selection criteria followed by the state while selecting new projects under
IWMP?
S. No

Selection Criteria

Poverty index (% of poor to population)

ii

% of SC/ ST population

iii

Actual wages

iv

% of small and marginal farmers

Ground water status

vi

Moisture index/ DPAP/ DDP Block

vii

Area under rain-fed agriculture

viii

Drinking water

ix

Degraded land

Productivity potential of the land

xi

Contiguity to another watershed that has already been developed/ treated

xii

Cluster approach in the plains (more than one contiguous microwatersheds in the project)

Q.No.7. What major activities are undertaken under watershed projects?

Ans.
Major Activities of the Watershed project are:


Soil & moisture conservation measures like terracing, bunding, trenching,
vegetative barriers etc.


Planting & sowing of multi-purpose trees, shrubs, grasses, legumes and
pasture land development


Encouraging natural regeneration


Promotion of agro-forestry and horticulture


Wood substitution and fuel-wood conservation measures


Measures needed to disseminate technology


Training, extension and creation of a greater degree of awareness among the
participants


Encouraging peoples participation
Q.No.8. What is the procedure for Monitoring and Evaluation of Watershed Projects?
Ans.
Monitoring of the progress of projects sanctioned under various schemes of the
Department is accorded very high importance and is carried out in a systematic manner
through:

Periodic progress reports obtained from the nodal agencies/PIAs etc.

Utilization of a panel of experts maintained for this purpose for undertaking

evaluation of the projects.
2

Visits undertaken to the States by Area Officers (under the Area Officers' Scheme
of the Department) to review programmes including the watershed development
projects.
The On-site inspections by officers of the Department.
Periodical reviews by Secretary and other senior officers of the Department.
Independent evaluators are nominated during alternate years to monitor project
implementation/performance of watershed projects. On the basis of their
evaluation reports, necessary mid-term corrective measures are taken.
DPAP/DDP/IWDP projects also evaluated through the State Governments.

Q.No.9.

What are the impacts of various watershed programmes implemented by the

Department?
Ans.
The Ministry of Rural Development conducted a comprehensive evaluation of
watershed programmes in 16 states covering 221 districts in 2001. A compilation of
the results of this study (The Energy & Resources Institute, 2004) reports overall
improvement in land use, increase in net sown and gross cropped area, expansion in
irrigated area, greater fuel-wood and fodder availability, higher incomes and
employment opportunities from the majority of states.
In 2008-09, ICRISAT-led consortium undertook Comprehensive Assessment (CA) of
watershed programs in India through a project jointly sponsored by the Department of
Land Resources and Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India.
The study found the following in areas where watershed treatment has been done
successfully:
 Watershed programmes are benefiting rainfed areas with Benefit : Cost ratio of
2.01
 Ground water table improved by 3.2 meters
 Soil runoff declined by 13%
 Irrigated area increased by 51.5%
 Cropping intensity increased by 35.5%
 Increasing agricultural productivity by 35% besides protecting the environment
Q.No.10. What is the target for 11th Five Year Plan under IWMP?
Ans:

The target for11th Five Year Plan is to cover an area of 22.65 Million hectares of
rainfed/degraded areas.