ISRO, jointly with ANTRIX Corporation and Watershed Development Department, Government of Karnataka, organised a one-day workshop Watershed Development- today (Wednesday, November 9, 2005) at Antariksh Bhavan, Bangalore, the headquarters of ISRO. The workshop was inaugurated by Shri G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO. Dr Dunu Roy, World Bank Expert was the Chief Guest and Shri A Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Horticulture, Government of Karnataka, presided. Commissioner, WDD, Shri N C Muniyappa and Dr B K Ranganath, ProjectDirector, M&E, participated.
It may be noted that the watershed development project, SUJALA, was initiated in Karnataka in 2001 with the assistance of World Bank. The Rs.675 crore project covers 77 sub-watersheds and 747 micro-watersheds in 38 Taluks located in five districts of Karnataka (Kolar, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Dharward, Haveri). The project covers 5.11 lakh hectare to benefit more than 4 lakhs households. So far, activities in 80 micro-watersheds have already been completed and work is in progress in 184 micro-watersheds. Another 473 micro-watersheds developments have been initiated.
Department of Space has undertaken monitoring and evaluation of the SUJALA watershed development project using data from Indian remote sensing satellites and conventional ground data. The World Bank has appreciated the methodology developed by ISRO/ANTRIX.
The main objective of the workshop held today was to disseminate and share the innovative methods and best practices adopted for monitoring and evaluation (M & E) in a participative watershed development project – SUJALA and also exchanges similar experiences from other projects. Representatives from Ministry of Agriculture and co-operation, Ministry of Rural Development, NABARD, World Bank Projects of Karnataka (JSYS, Jal Nirmal), Cauvery Niravari Nigam, Karnataka Forest Department, National Afforestation & Ecodevelopment Board (NAEB), University of Agricultural Sciences, World Bank consultants, executives and field functionaries of various central and state government departments and also non-government organisations (NGO’s) participated.
