Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

‘Accord high priority to people requirement’

Photo: Special Arrangement

Expressing views: The Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Rajeev K. Srivastava, inaugurating a programme on Watershed Management in Udhamandalam on Monday. —

Udhagamandalam: A five-day training programme on ‘Integrated Watershed Management’ for the officers incharge of implementing the Western Ghats Development Programme (WGDP) and the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP) organised by the Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute (CSWCRTI) got under way here on Monday.

Inaugurating the programme, the Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Rajeev K. Srivastava, underscored the need to reduce the gap between officials and beneficiaries while implementing developmental schemes.

Stating that the requirement of the people should be accorded high priority while evolving and implementing schemes, he said that the participatory approach should be adopted.

The Head, CSWCRTI, O.P.S. Khola said that periodical training was vital for helping officials stay abreast of the latest developments in the field of conservation. In managing natural resources officials should ensure that the local communities were involved.

The WGDP and the HADP were special area programmes funded by the Union Planning Commission. They were being implemented since 1975.

While the WGDP now covered 171 taluks in five states, the HADP was being implemented in four districts of the country including the Nilgiris.

Since the 9th five year plan considerable importance was being given to Integrated Watershed Management. Twenty five officers from Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu were participating in the programme. The departments they were connected with included Agricultural Engineering, Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Administration and Planning.

The Senior Scientist (Agronomy), CSWCRTI, K. Kannan proposed a vote of thanks.

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