Making running water walk-ability to catch, hold, and absorb water resources -SEVAI/OFI -SG

Peculation tank

SEVAI/OFI/SG had undertaken a watershed project in Kallai hills as integration part of water and soil conservation for food production and drinking water and cattle rearing. The term ‘watershed’, is defined as land area from which water drains to a given point i.e., stream, river, or pond. This watershed is situated in a moderate area, such as a 200-acre watershed that drains to a pond. A small watershed that nests inside of a larger watershed are sometimes referred to as a sub-watershed. This watershed zone has unique living and nonliving components that interact, with one element responding to the action or change of another. Watershed programme is one of the means to address the regional resource management program forGovin

SEVAI Check dam

addressing the shortage of water. The natural watershed is responsible for providing water to the environment. Managing this watershed sustainably can enhance the natural habitat, conserve water, and provide long term water storage and flood protection. Thereby it ensures the natural replenishing of water resources. Protecting the watershed therefore, becomes the highest priority in sustainable water management. This Kallai hills watershed of Thottiyapatty starts from the premise that the problem can be solved at its source if rural indigenous communities are mobilized to produce water that is, to increase the supply of water available for their own needs and, by extension, for society as a whole. Increasing society’s ability to produce water, as well as use it more efficiently, can bring about an interrelated series of benefits that will dramatically improve environmental, sanitary, and productive conditions among some of the poorest social groups.This project promotes participatory watershed development and Management as a top down approach of involving the concerned rural population in planning, designing, developing and management of watershed. Awareness is an important factor for involving people in water management. At Village-level self Help Groups (SHGs) have been created for stakes in a watershed programme. Overall there are efforts to a sense of ownership among villagers for construction of water harvesting structures and their maintenance. There are also Water Users Associations in the villages. The formation of these Water Users Associations is now generally seen as the most effective strategy for ensuring farmers’/users’ participation in the management of water for irrigated agriculture. Often referred to as landform engineering, its primary goal is to manipulate and enhance the natural flow of water to improve the site’s ability to catch, hold, and absorb water. -