As things stand…

1. As things stand… • No visible improvements in land quality in watersheds supposed to have been fully treated. • WS project implementation has been done with no perspective or vision, with little attention to quality. • A few scrapings here and there along field bunds are touted as land development or upland bunding. How this helps in any soil or moisture conservation is anybody’s guess.

2. The Planning conundrum • PRA has been used as a smokescreen for community participation in planning. • Current design of DPAP projects does not provide enough flexibility for realistic planning. One five-year action plan made even before the PIA has had a chance to build good rapport with the community cannot serve as a plan of action for the rest of the project duration.

3. Who pays, Who gains? • The contribution to WDF in case of works done on community land is either paid through deduction from labour wages or by inflating amount of work done. • In case of the former, the labourer (mostly the landless) who otherwise has no benefit from the project is forced to pay for benefits to landed people.

4. What needs to be done? • A planning perspective can be developed for watersheds based on Rs.6000/ha sanctioned a priori • But allow work based on seasonal work plans – Separate time-specific summer and monsoon work plans • Need for enhanced emphasis on funding of income generating activities. Provide part of the outlay for non-land and water works, particularly that could benefit the landless families.

5. What needs to be done? • First right to water bodies should go to SHGs of landless people. Strong action by the government can ensure that Panchayats do not suppress rights of the landless to favour vested interests. • Membership of NGOs in the District Watershed Advisory Committee should be made compulsory. There is far too much control of the soil conservation department over these bodies.