The Hindu : Policy on watershed-based planning mooted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Policy on watershed-based planning mooted

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM May 8. A two-day seminar on `Hydrology of Small Watersheds', organised here by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), has stressed the need for evolving a national policy to promote watershed-based planning in the country.

The seminar, which was sponsored by the Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS), an institution under the Union Department of Science and Technology, felt that a national policy was essential for the successful implementation of watershed management programmes with people's participation.

Planning and development of small watersheds call for a deep understanding of the occurrence and movement of water in the surface and sub-surface systems along with soil and nutrient losses in the areas concerned. The seminar noted that investigation and data input were therefore vital for the success of all watershed programmes. As many as 32 papers were presented at the seminar, some of them describing success stories in watershed management from different parts of the country. Most of the case studies claimed reduction in soil loss, increase in lean flows, rise in groundwater table following watershed management initiatives.

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