Making running water walk in SEVAI Watershed Project.

Dr.K.Govindaraju

The Director of SEVAI K.Govindaraju said that Making Running water walk is the key consent of Watershed project. He further spoke to field functionaries of Watershed project of SEVAI recently and said “‘SEVAI Watershed development has been conceived basically by SEVAI in Dasilnaikanoor hills of the Dry belt of Kulitalai Taluk of Karur District as a strategy for protecting the livelihoods of the people by undertaking water and soil conservation in and around Dasiilnaickanoor Hills. The Project support was accorded by AFPRO, Coimbatore. This watershed management was an effort of integration of technologies within the natural boundary of a drainage area for optimum development of 412 hectares of land, water and plant resources, to meet the people's basic needs in a sustained manner. The integrated watershed development in 412 hectares of land involved 319 families implemented by SEVAI in these villages. This Watershed development aimed at preventing watershed degradation resulting from the interaction of physiographic features. It eliminated unscientific land use, inappropriate cropping patterns and soil erosion, thereby improving and sustaining productivity of resources leading to higher income and living standards for the inhabitants in the watershed area. It therefore involved restoration of the ecosystem, protecting and utilizing the locally available resources within a watershed to achieve sustainable development. The word watershed refers to a “contiguous area draining into a single water body or a water course” or “it is a topographical area having a common drainage”. This means that the rainwater falling on an area coming within a ridgeline can be harvested and will flow out of this area thorough single point. The term watershed development encompasses additional dimensions like equity, sustainability, gender and peoples participation. It has become a trusted tool for the overall development of the village and people living within a watershed area. In brief various control measures undertaken by SEVAI are: Vegetative measures & Strip cropping, Pasture cropping, Grass land farming, Wood lands, Engineering measures, Contour bunding,Terracing,Construction of earthen embankment, Construction of check dams, Construction of farm ponds, Construction of diversion, Gully controlling structure, Rock dam, Establishment of permanent grass and vegetation, Providing vegetative and stone barriers. Construction of silt tanks dentension Influence of soil conservation measures and vegetation cover on erosion, Runoff and Nutrient loss. Rainwater harvesting is the main component of watershed management. SEVAI has completed the following RWH projects in three watersheds:12 check dams,21 percolation tanks,118 farm ponds,218 gullies repaired,15 underground tanks”.-Govin