Workshop on High Impact Mega Watershed Project gets off the mark in Chhattisgarh

The Government of Chhattisgarh in a joint initiative with Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation and Axis Bank Foundation organised an inception workshop on High Impact Mega Watershed Project in New Circuit House, Raipur on 25th of February. The event brought together government representatives (Zilla Panchayat and Janpad CEOs, APOs), all 13 CSOs and key stakeholders in the abovesaid geography. The overall goal of the project is to enhance the income of 100,000 small and marginal households on a sustainable basis by undertaking land and water treatment measures covering approx. 6.9 Lakh hectare of catchments in the upper ridges in 26 blocks of 12 districts in Chhattisgarh State. In the process the project also aims at building capacities of the front-line functionaries, PRIs, community members and CSOs on ridge to valley principle of watershed implementation.
The program fund for the project implementation would be supported by MGNREGA with Gram Panchayats as implementing agencies. BRLF and ABF would support the facilitating cost of CSOs. CSOs would be in the facilitation role – anchor grassroots mobilization, training of PRI and Block Functionaries, DPR preparation, livelihood promotion. GRS, PRI and SHG members of 1200 Gram Panchayats will be trained for effective planning and implementation of DPRs and livelihood plans. The State Project Management Unit, managed by PRADAN in collaboration with BRLF and ABF, would support the MGNREGA cell for overall coordination and implementation.
Following extensive consultation in formulating the project to correspond to contextual needs, Mega watershed project is currently in its ‘Inception Phase’. The objectives of the inception phase are to deepen understanding of the objectives of the project among relevant stakeholders, to enhance the level of participation and ownership of the project and to develop an implementation plan for the coming years.