Orissa to complete 610 watershed programmes in 7 years

As many as 610 watershed programmes would be realised at a cost of Rs 403.17 crore under the Integrated Watershed Management Programmes (IWMP)in Orissa in the next seven years.Other watershed programmes, being implemented under various schemes, would be brought under the IWMP after the schemes were wound up.This was revealed at a high-level meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to review the progress of Watershed Development Mission today.The government also targeted to treat eight lakh hectares of land under the watershed development mission in next five years.During the past ten years, 8.5 lakh hectares of land had already been treated under the scheme and afforestation was made in 33,737 hectares.Under the sceheme, as many as 15,430 water bodies were created and life saving irrigation provided in more than 50,000 hectares of land.The government also decided to extend the livelihood programme, which started since 2005 to seven more districts in next two years.Currently the scheme is being implemented in ten districts of the state.Offficial sources here said the watershed mission had helped to increase the ground water level and the area of vegetation.