New Concept of Watershed Development and Management : The Case Study of Rajasthan (India)
New Concept of Watershed Development and Management :
A Case Study of Rajasthan (India)
Professor (Dr.) R.N. Sharma
Abstract
Rajasthan is the driest & most water deficient state of India. Rajasthan has barely 1.16% of the water resources of the country as against its 11% share in total geographical area. 71% of net cropped area is semi-arid & receives annual rainfall less than 600 mm. Nearly, 61% of the total area of the state is desert and is heavily subjected to wind erosion. Out of 342 lakhs ha geographical area of state about 245 lakhs ha requires watershed development treatment. Therefore, sustainable watershed. Four Waters Concept is an innovative participatory technology for watershed management in dry areas. “Four waters”, viz, rain water, soil moisture, ground water & surface water. This methodology involves various water harvesting techniques to prevent the runoff of water by treatment of catchment, proper utilization of available water harvesting structures, renovation of the non-functional water harvesting structures and creation of new water harvesting structures. In this concept, the structural works are earthen work & no cement is used anywhere in the recharge areas. The construction of watersheds using Four waters concept is really a help for farmers and require minimum funds. This low cost technology has a potential to increase recharge of groundwater by four times & provide thrice the benefits than conventional models. The new approach to the watershed concept has transformed the landscape of over 3,500 villages in a matter of a year. It has increased the net sown area under irrigation. In most of the villages the barren land is transformed into culturable land. The groundwater table has improved considerably with the treatment of catchment areas. The paper briefly discusses the four waters concept and its impact in the water scarce areas. It also highlights the potential & significance of the Concept for the sustainable management of water resources.
Mots clés : Water Resources|Four Waters Concept|Watershed|Water Harvesting Techniques
A102858RS