SLSC approves Rs 75.80 cr AAP for Watershed Development

Srinagar, May 24: The State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) for the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) 2.0, which met here Saturday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, gave nod to Annual Action Plan worth Rs 75.80 crore for Watershed Development under PMKSY.
The meeting was convened to review implementation of the scheme besides assessing the Annual Action Plan for the year 2025-26.
Present in the meeting were Principal Secretary, Finance; Secretary, RDD; representatives from JSD, PWD, Revenue and other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary exhorted upon the concerned to make the best use of this scheme for creation of durable assets in the water stressed areas. He called for community participation in such initiatives so that these could prove to be the most beneficial for them.
He assessed the progress registered in different districts being covered under this flagship scheme and stressed on prioritizing works which are most suitable for the particular areas. He directed the senior officers in the department to conduct frequent visits to the sites to take first hand appraisal of the works being executed under this scheme.
Principal Secretary, Finance and APD Departments, Shailendra Kumar, while speaking in the meeting, stressed on including other minor irrigation works in the DPRs so that the water reaches up to the last fields in these areas. He also suggested measures to make the execution of works more transparent and beneficial for the public at large.
The meeting reviewed the progress and approved the proposals under the centrally sponsored flagship programme aimed at enhancing the water conservation, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture in the UT.
While highlighting broad contours of the scheme, Secretary RD& PR Department, Aijaz Asad, informed that WDC-PMKSY is continuation of the earlier Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), which had been subsumed into PMKSY in 2015-16.
He revealed that under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, several initiatives and infrastructure projects had been implemented to boost watershed-based development. Besides, physical and financial progress has been recorded across various districts, with special emphasis on construction of water harvesting structures, ponds and irrigation channels.
Additionally, the rainwater harvesting tanks and bunds for soil and moisture conservation, beautification and rejuvenation of water bodies including springs and streams also constitutes the actions being taken under this programme.
A significant highlight of the year has been the Watershed Yatra Campaign 2025, launched on 5th February in Kathua district by the Union Cabinet Minister for Agriculture and the UT Minister for Rural Development. The campaign underscored the integrated watershed governance and community participation for which J&K secured the 2nd rank nationally for strategic planning and participatory implementation of WDC-PMKSY 2.0.
In alignment with the theme of public engagement, the Janbhagidhari Watershed Cup is set to recognize 2–3 districts demonstrating exceptional community involvement in project execution, the meeting was informed.
Moreover, it was divulged that as part of a new initiative under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, 300 springs have been allocated to J&K for rejuvenation as pilot projects. Further, under the national initiative to rejuvenate 50,000 springs, 3,100 more have been tentatively assigned to the UT for which the final project guidelines are awaited from DoLR.
The SLSC also reviewed and approved the Annual Action Plan (AAP) for 2025–26 with a proposed budget of Rs 75.80 crore, focusing primarily on Natural Resource Management (Rs 42.70 crore), Production Systems (Rs 15.03 crore), Consolidation & Withdrawal Phase (Rs 2.15 Cr), Work done claims from AAP 2024-25 (Rs 8.14 crore) and Administrative Expenses of Rs 4.15 crore to be utilised over the ensuing financial year.
The committee also approved the revision of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to include the newly allocated 300 springs and asked for creation of DPR in consultation with the Jal Shakti Department.
The approved initiatives, as concluded in the meeting, are expected to accelerate the sustainable agricultural growth and foster inclusive rural development across the region.