Watershed Based Livelihood Development

PSI promotes watershed development through scientific soil and water conservation measures, rainwater harvesting, and groundwater recharge. It works with local communities to improve water availability, strengthen agricultural productivity, and build resilience to droughts and climate change.

A concrete irrigation channel running through green terraced fields

Projects in this area

Mapping water across six Haridwar watershedsHaridwarHero MotoCorp

From our work over the years

1992-93

Fighting drought, village by village

Sukha Mukti Abhiyan, Palamu

125villages
143earthen dams
4,000acres of irrigation potential
Rs2.70croreexpenses managed

PSI coordinated the Sukha Mukti Abhiyan, in response to the severe drought of 1992-93 in Palamu district.

We created a unique 3-way partnership of Pani Panchayats (villagers’ implementing agencies), district administration (funding agency) and the PSI-led Pani Chetna Manch (PCM) consisting of local youths (coordinators) to implement a drought-proofing programme.

In 2 years PCM guided Pani Panchayats in 125 villages to build 143 earthen dams, with an irrigation potential of about 4000 acres, and manage expenses totalling Rs 2.70 crores. The Indian Government later adapted many SMA procedures to prepare the National Watershed Development Programme guidelines.

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Villagers measure land with a pole during drought-proofing work in Palamu

An earthen dam holding a pond of water in a dry landscape

2000

From consumption to conservation

Reviving the Himalayas’ water wisdom

Over millennia, Himalayan communities have built rain water harvesting structures that have functioned for centuries. They are living examples of sustainable technologies.

In response to growing water supply problems in rural Himachal and Uttarakhand in the 1990s, we researched and analysed their water histories.

An extensive outreach effort to villagers, panchayats, activists and officials included publication of a monograph and a popular quarterly Hindi newsletter; photo-exhibitions, meetings, workshops, exposure tours for villagers, live demonstrations of appropriate technologies and state-level conferences.

It created tremendous interest in reviving defunct water harvesting structures, and making water policy recommendations in both states.

Gaon Ka Pani, Gaon Ka Adhikar

10,000hatwo watershed projects
100+villages
0tankers needed after the project

Between 2000 and 2005 we implemented two large watershed projects in Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) and Hamirpur (H.P.) districts, spanning almost 10,000ha in 100+ villages. Watershed villages in Hamirpur district suffered annual water shortages.

Women being the main household water gatherers, we focussed on mobilizing women power. The response was stupendous.

When the project ended no tankers were required to supply water in these villages. Surplus watershed villages supplied villages beyond the watershed.

The people of Dabkerh and Bhusal villages installed their own water supply systems replacing the state water supply agency!

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Old stone spring shrines, called naulas, in a pine forest

Women collect water at a traditional naula

A small shrine built above a stone water tank

Village women seated together at a meeting

2010

Bundelkhand: self-reliant villages

125Farmers Interest Groups
15K to 20Kmore family income per year (FY24, reported)
14years of work

Impressed by PSI’s GSA programme in Odisha, MoRD approached us in 2010 to implement a similar programme of poverty eradication through self-reliant development in Bundelkhand.

In Bundelkhand, the focus was on training village youths as local resource persons, establishing trained village level institutions, empowering women, and improving food, nutrition and livelihood security in a socially-just manner. The latter include farm ponds for irrigation, SCI, NPM, vegetable cultivation and marketing surpluses.

In 14 years, we have reportedly helped increase family incomes by 15K to 20K per year (FY24). The villagers established 125 Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs).

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Watershed Based Livelihood Development

Projects in this area

From our work over the years

Fighting drought, village by village

From consumption to conservation

Gaon Ka Pani, Gaon Ka Adhikar

Bundelkhand: self-reliant villages

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