Background

            Mining activity though economically important, has significant negative impact on environment and socioeconomic conditions of the affected community. The opencast mining and storage would have removed the fertile top soil thus, soil productivity and soil degradation issues directly influence the socio-economic condition of the affected villages. Integrated and sustainable development agriculture and allied sectors is very crucial in mining affected area.

            The CEPMIZ Programme will be operated from 2023-24 to 2027-28 for watershed Development in the four districts. This project will be implemented under the broad guidelines of PMKSY-WDC 2.0. The Programme will be implemented in 37 projects of 11 Taluks in 4 districts with the financial assistance from KMERC, Government of Karnataka and covering an area of 3.0Lakh hectares. (District,Taluk&Project details ofCEPMIZ are furnished in Annexure-I). The CEPMIZ Programme is subjected to administrative approval of DPR and Availability of grants/Funds by KMERC.

Activities of the Watershed Development:

         Watershed development refers to the conservation regeneration and the judicious use of all the resources – natural (like land, water plants, animals) and human – within the watershed area. Watershed Management tries to bring about the best possible balance in the environment between natural resources on the one side and man and animals on the other. Since it is the man which is primarily responsible for degradation of environment, regeneration and conservation can only be possible by participation among the people who inhabit the watersheds. The term watershed development encompasses additional dimensions like equity, sustainability, gender and people’s participation. It has become a trusted tool for the overall development of the village and people living within a watershed area.

The Activities include

1.      Entry Point Activities (EPA)

2.      Institution and Capacity Building: Awareness creation & Formation of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) & Trainings to CBO members

3.      Baseline survey

4.      Net planning and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR),

5.      Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise and community approval,

6.      Land Management Practices, Alternative Land use systems through Agro forestry and dry land horticulture,

7.      Livelihood Activities, Production System and Micro Enterprises,

8.      Consolidation and Withdrawal phase,

9.      Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning & Documentation (MEL&D).

Expected Outcome from Watershed Development Activities:

1.        Recharging of the ground water table (Rise in water table)

2.        Non-cultivable /fallow land brought under cultivation

3.        Area expansion by adapting Horticulture & Forestry activities

4.        Rain Water Harvesting (Area under protective irrigation & No. of benefited farmers)

5.        Provide sustainable livelihood to the asset less people of the project area (Income Status &No. of Beneficiaries)

6.        Multi cropping and introduction of diverse Agro based activities (Cropping Intensity)

7.        Monitoring soil erosion through silt monitoring