WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT & WATER BUDGETING BY G.N. SHARMA, IRRIGATION & SOIL ENGINEERING EXPERT, MGNREGA DIVISION, MORD, GOI

WHAT IS WATERSHED? Watershed is a geo-hydrological unit of an area draining to a common outlet point. The undulating land area of any region forms several such units, each of which is called watershed. In a watershed, the slopes falling from the ridge to the beginning of the plain/ arable area called the ridge area. The many channels that flowing rainwater drains into are called drainage lines.

Rain fed area 4

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WHY WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT? It has been recommended and established that for integrated development of rain fed area and drought proofing; area treatment from ridge to valley on watershed approach is the only solution. It lead to natural resource conservation i.e. check soil erosion, conserve & harvest rain water, increase productivity of the land, bring additional area under agriculture, employment generation and social upliftment of community living in the rural area. It is low cost i.e. only Rs to 0.25 lakh per ha as compared to irrigation project which is nearly Rs 2.0 lakh per ha. & no after bad effect, like water logging & salinity as in irrigation projects.

WHY WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT UNDER MGNREGA? Most of the works permitted under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, are such that the integrated development of rain fed area can be carried out on watershed approach. Therefore, to achieve the objective of the scheme and optimum utilization of MGNREGA funds in rain fed area, the projects should be prepared on watershed approach with ridge to valley concept.

8 Watershed Works as per the Common Guidelines for Watershed Development Projects (IWMP) MGNREGA Works related to Watershed (as per revised Schedule 1, MGNREGA) Para 8.2 watershed Works Phase a. Ridge Area Treatment: All activities required to restore the health of the catchment area by reducing the volume and velocity of surface runoff, including regeneration of vegetative cover in forest and common land, afforestation, staggered trenching, contour and graded bunding, bench terracing etc. Para 4. (I), I. Category: A: (v) Afforestation, tree plantation and horticulture in common and forest land, road margins, tank foreshores duly providing right to usufruct to the households covered under MGNREGA for individual work on their land. Para 4. (I), I. Category: A: (ii), Watershed management works such as contour trenches, terracing, contour bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resulting in comprehensive treatment of a watershed,

9 b. drainage line treatment with a combination of vegetative and engineering structure, such as earthen checks, brushwood checks, gully plugs, loose boulder checks, gabion structures, underground dykes etc. ---do Para 4. (I), I. Category: A: (i), Water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment and improve ground water like underground dykes, earthen dams, stop dams, check dams with special focus on recharging ground water including drinking water sources. c. Development of water harvesting structures such as low –cost farm ponds, nalla bunds, percolation tanks and ground water recharge through wells, bore wells and other measures do

10 d. Nursery raising for fodder, fuel, timber and horticulture species Nursery for the plantation work permitted under MGNREGA can be raised under MGNREGS. e. land development including in – situ soil and moisture conservation and drainage management measures like field bunds, contour and graded bunds fortified with plantation, bench terracing in hilly terrain etc. Para 4. (I), I. Category: A: (ii), Watershed management works such as contour trenches, terracing, contour bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resulting in comprehensive treatment of a watershed, can be carried out irrespective of ownership of land. f. Crop demonstration for popularizing new crops/varieties, water saving technologies such as drip irrigation or innovative management practices NOT COVERED UNDER MGNREGA

11 g. Pasture development, sericulture, bee keeping, back yard poultry, small ruminant, other livestock and micro- enterprises In pasture development, land development and plantation can be covered under Para 4. (1) I. (v) & (vi) of schedule 1 of MGNREGA h. Veterinary services for livestock and other livestock improvement measures NOT COVERED UNDER MGNREGA. However, as per Para 4. (I), II. Category: B: (v), Creating infrastructure for promotion of livestock such as, poultry shelter, goat shelter, piggery shelter and fodder troughs for cattle can be carried out on the land of households permitted under MGNREGA in Para 5, for individual work.

12 i. Fisheries development in village ponds/ tanks, farm ponds etc. Para 4. (I), II. Category: B: (vi), Creating infrastructure for promotion of fisheries such as, fish drying yards, storage facilities on the land of households permitted under MGNREGA in Para 5, for individual work, and promotion of fisheries in seasonal water bodies on public land can be carried out under MGNREGA. j. Promotion and propagation of non-conventional energy saving devices, energy conservation measures, bio fuel plantation etc. NOT COVERED UNDER MGNREGA

THEREFORE, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT INDEPENDENTLY UNDER MGNREGA: Watershed management can be taken up only after a comprehensive assessment of the entire watershed in the GP and shall address all issues of soil erosion, rainwater retention and afforestation. Standalone works in the above category without a comprehensive watershed plan shall not be permitted. In order to treat the entire watershed, the entire land shall be treated, without limiting to the lands of small/marginal farmers, etc. The comprehensive watershed plan shall be prepared in accordance with the concepts of ridge –to-valley treatment; and after proper verification of land utilization and capabilities through a participatory approach. It is recommended to use the satellite imagery for this planning work.

PLANNING WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT: Size & selection of watershed: hectare area is preferred. refer to the watershed Atlas available with states. Basic resource Survey: Base line/bench mark surveys like climate, type of soils and its fertility status, rainfall pattern and runoff volume, topography, present land use and problems, vegetation coverage and its quality. Community Organization & People Institution: Active participation of people is very crucial for planning & implementation of watershed development programme, so that it becomes community driven and community managed/owned. Land Capability Classification : Land capability classification (LCC) for management of land based ecological factors such as soil texture, soil depth, slope, water availability, erosion etc., are required for watershed development planning.

PLANNING WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT : Village wise social map, Resource map, present land use and problem maps are prepared through PRA exercise. Different possible options/ solutions are discussed and finalized through village meetings, treatment plan is prepared for fallow/ non-arable & arable lands including drainage lines and infrastructural development. Convergence Approach: The watershed development programme aims at holistic development of the area encompassing different types of activities. This requires convergence of resources and support from different departments to meet out financial, technical and other support services. PRA as an important methodology of planning process: Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is the combination of different tools which enables community to articulate and analyze their own situation, generating options and finalizing their plan based on their needs and priorities. This ensures identification of appropriate interventions with greater ownership, sustainable use and management by the community. refer to IPPE manual for details of conducting PRA exercise in the villages.

PLANNING WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT: the micro watershed area covering a Gram Panchayat or a village can be a unit for planning. the revenue map of the village should be superimposed on the G.T. Sheet or Watershed Atlas of the area by enlarging or reducing the scale of the maps to bring on similar scale for superimposition. Watershed should be delineated/ marked on this superimposed map. thereafter, planning of works on watershed approach with ridge to valley concept and water budgeting should be made. Once, the planning is completed the execution of works should start from ridge to valley.

WATER BUDGETING : Water budgeting is the process of assessing the volume of rain water to be harvested in the watershed area and to plan harvesting structures accordingly. It also involves calculating the volume of water required for human, livestock, agriculture and for maintaining the ecological balance sustainably.

CALCULATING THE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BE HARVESTED: Calculation of total annual volume of runoff with respect to catchment area, rainfall, runoff co efficient (Qt) Existing storage capacity of the area (B) Runoff available for harvesting (D) = (Qt)- (B) Water requirement for human, agriculture, livestock and to maintain ecology keeping 20 yr. projection in mind (C ) Generally, maximum 75 % of balance available run-off ( E)= 0.75* (D) is to be harvested and rest 25 % runoff water allowed to flow in the drainage line Check whether (E ) => (C ), if not then make alternative plans like reducing water demand, mobilizing from neighboring water sufficient area etc.

CALCULATION OF TOTAL ANNUAL VOLUME OF RUNOFF: Qt = C × R × A (2.1) Where, Qt = annual volume or quantum of surface run-off (in cubic meters) C = is the co-efficient of run-off R = is the annual rainfall (in meters) and, A = is the area on which the rain falls (in square meters) This is also known as the surface water yield of a watershed

ANNUAL AVAILABILITY OF WATER IN THE VILLAGE: FORMULA USED Qt =CRA ParticularUnitQuantity Catchment area (A)Ha.790 Average Rainfall (R)m0.9 Co efficient of Runoff (C )0.4 Total runoff Water (Q) =790x0.9x0.40 Ha.-M284.4 Water can be harvested =75 % of QHa.-M213.3

WATER REQUIREMENT FOR DOMESTIC & LIVESTOCK PURPOSE: Population Expected Population (after 10 years ) Daily Water requirement for individuals (Ltr) Annual Water Requirements in Cum (3x4)x365days/ ,914 Type of Animal Total Animal No. Daily Water requirement per animal Annual Water Requirements in Cum (3x4)x365days/1000 Cow Buffalo Bullocks Calf Goat Sheep TOTAL

WATER REQUIREMENT FOR AGRICULTURE: Season Type of Crops grown Area Depth of Irrigation in (CM) Total Water Requirement In Ha-M =(4x5)/100 Khariff Maize Groundnut Red gram Soyabeen Millet Rabi Wheat Chickpea Onion Potato Garlic Mustard Total

HARVESTED WATER IN THE VILLAGE: StructureUnit No. of Structure Storage Capacity (Cum) Effective Storage Capacity (7)x no of refilling in a yr Capacity In (Ha. M) ExistingProposedExistingProposedExistingProposedTotal Contour TrenchRM Contour BundRM Boulder CheckNo Farm BundingRM Stop DamNo Renovation of Stop Dam No Earthen DamNo Farm PondNo TOTAL

ANNUAL WATER BUDGET OF VILLAGE: Availability of Water Requirement of Water Total Harvested Water In ( Ha- M) Type of Requirement Quantity of Water Requirement ( Ha-M) Domestic Livestock1.58 Agriculture water to be harvested as per the plan is able to meet the requirement of village.

WATERSHED INTERVENTIONS: 1. INTERVENTIONS IN NON-ARABLE/ RIDGE AREA: DIVERSION DRAINS CONTOUR TRENCHING LOOSE BOULDERS BUNDING SPRING SHED DEVELOPMENT VILLAGE POND

WATERSHED INTERVENTIONS: 2. INTERVENTIONS IN ON-FARM / ARABLE AREA: BUNDING - CONTOUR BUNDING: - GRADED BUNDING: CONSERVATION DITCHING BENCH TERRACING 30X 40 MODELS FARM PONDS IN THE CROP LANDS TANKA KHADIN GRASSED WATERWAY AND DIVERSIONS DRAINS SURPLUSING ARRANGEMENTS / WASTE WEIR

Category: A: PUBLIC WORKS RELATING TO NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (ii) Watershed management works such as contour trenches, terracing, contour bunds, boulder checks, gabion structures and spring shed development resulting in a comprehensive treatment of a watershed;

WATERSHED INTERVENTIONS: 3. INTERVENTIONS IN DRAINAGE LINE: A)UPPER & MIDDLE DRAINAGE LINE MEASURES LOOSE BOULDERS CHECK (LBC): GABION STRUCTURE: EARTHEN GULLY PLUGS: B ) MIDDLE & LOWER REACH DRAINAGE LINE MEASURES: DROP SPILLWAY: EARTHEN DAMS: NADI: BANDHARA c ) TORRENT AND STREAM BANK EROSION CONTROL MEASURES: SPURS: RETAINING/ TOE WALLS: REVETMENTS:

PUCCA CHECK DAM (Anicut) constructed with required survey and design, with the result, it is safe durable, economical and productive. 32

CONVERGENCE OF MGNREGS WITH IWMP: For integrated development of rain fed area on watershed approach, it is necessary that the project/ perspective plan of a village is prepared with a Watershed approach integrating all the activities into a whole project. In this project, the works permitted under MGNREGA is planned / covered under MGNREGA and works not permitted under MGNREGA is covered under ongoing IWMP. Under IWMP the unit cost is only Rs /- to Rs /- per hac. Which is very meagre to saturate the watershed in watershed development works. Identify all the works/ activities to be covered under MGNREGS and under ongoing IWMP, separately with size of area/ work, estimated cost and the year in which proposed.

S. No.Work/ActivityKind of Area Size of area / work Estimated Cost (lakh) Programme Under which Proposed Year in which Proposed 1 st year 2 nd year 3 rd year 4 th year i) a. Ridge Area Treatment: All activities, including regeneration of vegetative cover in forest and common land, afforestation, staggered trenching, contour and graded bunding, bench terracing etc. MGNREGS ii)b. drainage line treatment, such as earthen checks, brushwood checks, gully plugs, loose boulder checks, gabion structures, underground dykes etc. MGNREGS A typical exercise to identify works/ activities to be covered under MGNREGS and under IWMP with the size of area/ work, estimated cost and the year in which proposed. Name of Watershed: , Area of Micro watershed: --- ha Name of Village: , Name of Panchayat/ Block/ District:

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