Rural India Is Getting A Much-Needed Water Shed Development!
The overuse of water sources, coupled with a decrease in the amount of rainfall, has resulted in drought-like conditions in multiple districts in India. Rural areas have been hit especially hard by these changes, as they lack the infrastructure to support modern irrigation methods. This has left farmers unable to grow crops during dry spells and has led to crop failures and diminished harvests for many families. Thankfully, there are plenty of initiatives that are working to reverse this trend. Watershed development is one such program - read on to learn more about it!
What Is Water Shed Development? A water shed is a natural drainage basin that is critical to water management in a given area. Developing water sheds allows farmers to increase the water retention of the soil and improve crop yields, which in turn helps to improve rural income. Watershed development is a program that focuses on creating an environment where water sheds can be built and sustained. Water shed development allows rural communities to build new dams, reservoirs, and ponds to collect water, as well as to improve the condition of existing water sources. By doing so, water shed development programs aim to provide farmers with access to a reliable supply of water during periods of drought, as well as during the rainy season.