Policy Update
Rounak Panda
About 60% of India’s net sown area is found in its rain-dependent areas, which also support over 40% of the nation’s population. Although these regions account for almost 45% of all food grains produced, their poor water retention, degraded soils, and erratic monsoons make them quite sensitive.
The National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) estimates that different kinds of land degradation—including soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and deforestation—affect almost 147 million hectares, over 45% of India’s total land area.
Another major issue is groundwater stress; in semi-arid and arid zones, especially, over 70% of India’s districts have reported declining water levels. Small and marginal farmers, who account for more than 86% of India’s agricultural households (NSSO, 2019), often lack alternative income sources, irrigation, or climate-resilient infrastructure.
The Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP) was launched in 2009–10 after an urgent demand for a unified, landscape-based strategy for natural resource management emerged from these overlapping vulnerabilities.
The inception of IWMP in 2009-10 was a cohesive strategy by GoI under MoRD to manage the country’s degraded land and water resources. The program aimed at addressing the challenges associated with watershed development across the nation.
IWMP brought together the earlier fragmented efforts of pre-existing policy initiatives like Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), the Desert Development Programme (DDP), and the Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP). Keeping in mind the vulnerability of rainfed agriculture this scheme aimed to mitigate the risk that a small or marginal farmer faced due to weather changes and resources depletion. By harnessing rainwater, preventing soil erosion, and improving land productivity across rainfed or drought-prone region, the Development Component this policy tried to restore and improve ecological balance. Key objectives include:
- Ecological Restoration: To promote land and moisture conservation.
- Livelihood enhancement: To create sustainable rural livelihoods through improved cropping intensity and related activities.
- Community Empowerment: To form Watershed Committees for grassroot level planning, management, and maintenance.
Initially the timeline of the project was flexible with preparatory, work and consolidation phase to be completed within the timeline of four to seven years. Later, in 2015-16, IWMP was integrated into the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) and continued as ‘WDC-PMKSY 2.0’ from 2021 to 2026 with a reduced project duration of three to five years. The programme targets semi‐arid and arid districts across 28 States & 2 UTs, with an estimated beneficiary base of over 20 million households (MoRD, 2022). This encompasses farmers (especially small and marginal), landless agricultural labourers, livestock keepers, and rural artisans. The project also aims at equitable access of benefits for women and marginalised groups.
Functioning of WDC-PMKSY: Implementation Framework and Evaluation Mechanism
The WDC-PMKSY, is run by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and follows a bottom-up, community-driven approach. Generally, District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) coordinate with State Irrigation Plans (SIPs) to come up with strategies for implementation. Rainfall pattern, land degradation, and poverty levels are factors taken into account while choosing areas.
The programme has a multi-tiered structure:
- State Nodal Agencies (SLNAs) manage coordination and funding.
- District level teams (DWCDCS &DWDTs) provide technical support.
- Village-level agencies (PIAs & Watershed Committees) carry out the work with local involvement.
Projects generally cover 2000 to 5000 hectares using a cluster-based model consisting of several micro-watershed project with detailed plans based on GIS modelling and remote sensing.
Works include:
- Structural measures like check dams and contour bunds.
- Biological treatments such as afforestation and pasture development.
- Livelihood support through farm ponds and agro-horticulture.
Centre bears 90% of cost while state contributes 10% to the funding pool. For special category states and UTs, Centre bears of 100% of the cost.
Monitoring is tech enabled and multi layered which includes:
- A MIS dashboard and mobile apps track progress with geo-tagged images.
- Tools like Bhuvan-IWMP GIS ensure real-time updates.
- Third-party evaluations by MEL&D agencies, along with mid-term and end-line evaluations, provide objective assessments and satellite imagery help verify outcomes.
Convergence with other schemes like MGNREGS and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) is actively encouraged for resource optimization.
Performance
| Indicator | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | Source |
| Area treated (lakh ha) | 24.5 | 26.2 | 28 | MORD Annual Reports (2020; 2021; 2022) |
| Number of watersheds covered | 10,200 | 11,000 | 11,500 | MORD Annual Reports (2020; 2021; 2022) |
| Budget allocation (₹ crore) | 3,500 | 4,000 | 4,600 | Union Budget reports |
| Fund utilization (%) | 92 | 94 | 90 | MoRD MIS Dashboard (accessed 2024) |
Between 2020-21 and 2022-23, the area under the program increased from 24.5 to 28 lakh hectares and numbers of watershed projects have increased from 10,200 to 11,500. Budget allocations also rose steadily, reaching ₹4,600 crore in 2022–23, with fund utilization consistently above 90% suggesting administrative efficiency however, the dip from 94% to 90% also suggest occasional some implementation bottlenecks.
Impact on the Ground
WDC-PMKSY 1.0
WDC-PMKSY 1.0 saw implementation of more than 6,328 project which covered around 29.37 million hectares. End term evaluation report and PIB release point to substantial improvements:
- Groundwater levels rose by up to 3 meters in several project areas.
- Better water availability resulted in increase in net cultivated area by up to 30%.
- Farmer incomes increased with some regions witnessing an average increase of over 70% (supported by farm ponds, agroforestry, and allied activities)
- Better Fodder and water availability led to 40% increase in milk production
- Cropping intensity (number of crops grown per year) increased by around 18.3%
These outcomes serve as evidence for the programme’s success in achieving its objectives of restoring degraded landscapes and enhancing agricultural productivity.
WDC-PMKSY 2.0
The ongoing second phase is moving towards its objectives in full swing. As of Q2 of FY 2024-25, the program has achieved;
- Construction or revival of 1.15 lakh water harvesting structures
- Protective irrigation now covers 1.69 lakh hectares.
- Support extended to over 9.8lakh farmers.
- Restoration of nearly 5.1 lakh hectares of degraded land
Program’s MIS data further suggests that there has been progress in soil and moisture conservation and plantation activities.
Challenges and Emerging issues in WDC-PMKSY
Though the programme has seen noteworthy success on the ground, the programme continues to face a number of structural and operational challenges that could affect its long-term sustainability and impact.
| Challenge | Description | Specific Example | Source |
| Delayed Fund Release | Slow disbursement hampers timely execution | In 2017, none of the 8,214 sanctioned IWMP projects from 2009–2015 had reached official closure. | Parliamentary Standing Committee, 2017 |
| Weak Post-Project Maintenance | Lack of upkeep leads to degradation of structures | CAG audit in Karnataka found 63% of check dams non-functional within 3 years of completion. | CAG Report No. 17 of 2020 |
| Limited Convergence | Poor coordination with other rural schemes | Evaluation showed that only 20% of projects converged with MGNREGS for labour support. | NITI Aayog Evaluation Report on IWMP (2015) (Page 94) |
| Capacity Constraints | Local teams lack technical skills for new interventions | NITI Aayog found that many PIAs lacked trained technical staff, affecting DPR quality and implementation. | NITI Aayog Evaluation Report on IWMP (2015) (Page 65) |
| Data & Monitoring Issues | Incomplete geo-tagging and inconsistent MIS reporting | Geo-tagged photo uploads were found incomplete or mismatched in field verification. | NITI Aayog IWMP Report (Page 105) |
| Equity & Climate Concerns | Climate risks, land issues, and equity gaps | Economic Survey highlights that climate-resilient infrastructure like farm ponds must target small/marginal farmers. | Economic Survey 2022–23, Chapter 7 |
Way Forward: Scaling WDC-PMKSY for a resilient Rural Future
A strategic reboot in the programme is the need of the hour, as the world is moving towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient development. A macro recalibration of the programme is necessary to bring in new innovations improved convergence and deeper community involvement. Some of the measures that can help are:
- Streamlining interdepartmental coordination for timely execution of the project.
- Deepened convergence with other schemes like MGNREGA, NRLM and state water budgets to optimize resources and scale impact (NITI Aayog, 2020)
- To streamline post-project maintenance a sense of community ownership should be fostered, which can be done by strengthening local governance and ensuring 50% women’s representation in watershed committees to enhance and accountability inclusion
- Targeted capacity building is critical under WDC-PMKSY 2.0 which will help to mitigate the quality issue of the projects District Watershed Teams and Gram Panchayats which arises due to insufficient or lack of training.
- Adopting real-time tools like GIS, remote sensing, and mobile apps can enhance transparency and tracking (Bhuvan-IWMP Portal, 2024).
- Engaging private players and adopting the PPP model will help increase efficiency and improve innovation due to competition and improve long-term sustainability
References
- Bhuvan-IWMP Portal (2024). https://wdcpmksy.dolr.gov.in/
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (2020). Report No. 17 of 2020.
- Economic Survey 2022–23 (Chapter 7). (2023). Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
- Government of India, Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources. (2025, February 11). LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 117. https://sansad.in/getFile/loksabhaquestions/annex/184/AS117_iDl9s0.pdf?source=pqals
- Ministry of Rural Development. (2020). Annual Report [2020].
- Ministry of Rural Development. (2021). Annual Report [2021].
- Ministry of Rural Development. (2022). Annual Report [2022].
- Ministry of Rural Development. (2024). WDC-PMKSY MIS Dashboard.
- MoRD. (2022).
- NITI Aayog. (2015). Evaluation Report on IWMP. (p. 65).
- NITI Aayog. (2015). Evaluation Report on IWMP. (p. 94).
- NITI Aayog. (2020).
- NITI Aayog. (n.d.). IWMP Report. (p. 105).
- Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development. (2017).
- Press Information Bureau. (2022, July 14). Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurates National Watershed Conference. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1841555
- Press Information Bureau. (2024, December 26). Year End Review 2024: Achievement of the Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development). https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2088125
- Union of India, Ministry of Finance. Union Budget [2022-23]
- Watershed Development Component-Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0) Official Website. (n.d.). https://wdcpmksy.dolr.gov.in/
About the Contributor
Rounak Panda, Research Intern, IMPRI. Currently pursuing B.Sc (Hons) Economics at Dr. B R Ambedkar School of Economics – University, Bengaluru.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement: The author extends his sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team and Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja for her invaluable guidance throughout the process.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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