Nexus of Good: Innovative rejuvenation

Chhattisgarh has 80 per cent of households dependent on agriculture, out of which 76 per cent are small and marginal farmers. It has only 43 per cent arable land under cultivation, of which 55 per cent land has less water retention capacity. The Net Irrigated Area (NIA) in Chhattisgarh is 31 per cent, of which 65 per cent is rainfed. Remaining irrigation is through a limited number of canals, ponds, dug wells and tube wells. At present, only 33.15 per cent of gross sown area is under a secured irrigation facility.

The region is characterised by non-perennial streams, which actually are rain-fed rivers. During the dry season, either they cease to flow entirely, or there is hardly any water in most of the drainage channels. Although the presence of a dense network of rivulets and streams provides scope for in-situ conservation and harvesting of water, it is estimated that about 75 per cent of the gross sown area of the state can be irrigated with proper use and management of available water resources.

It was felt that there was a tremendous scope for management and conservation of soil and water resources through various established, technically and scientifically viable and innovative measures, resulting in protection, conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems, wilderness landscapes and its agricultural surrounds, and other associated sectors on which the local communities are dependent for their livelihood. This can also boost the production of non-wood forest products supporting the rural economy.

The Government of Chhattisgarh launched the ambitious Narwa Programme (soil and water conservation for stream rejuvenation) under flagship initiatives of Narwa, Garuwa, Ghurwa and Baadi (NGGB) to rejuvenate about 33,000 Narwas (rivulet) of the state. The Forest and Climate Change Department has been identified as a key actor to revive, revitalise and rejuvenate Narwa (rivulet) in the forest areas.

In Narwa or rivulet management, the government is focusing on enhancing the groundwater percolation, forest regeneration, water retention and storage capacity of nala/stream, so that availability of water for agriculture, forested ecosystems, wild animals and domestic livestock is ensured over longer period of the year, and that water is optimally available even in the pinch period. In the long run, this initiative is also expected to increase the adaptive capacity of households to cope up from climate change extremes like dry spell, drought and flood situations. This particular initiative is an innovation in itself in addressing issues related to climate change adaptation on the lines of the UNFCCC. Adaptation commonly focuses on reducing vulnerability to the immediate and predicted impacts of climate change, and increasing the capacity of countries, states and communities to be more resilient and to cope better, which means everything from better skills to more access to suitable finance to newer technology.

To implement this Narwa project, site-specific Catchment Area Treatment Plans (CAT Plans) were prepared, followed by site-specific Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to construct a series of watershed drainage line treatment structures (like brushwood check dam, loose boulder check dam, percolation pond, 30-40 model, contour bund, contour trench, Gabion structure, check dam, anicuts, underground dykes, earthen dam, plantations etc.) to reduce run off, prevent soil erosion and enhance the groundwater level.

It was found essential to sensitise the stakeholders, primarily the village communities, about the benefits of the project. Accordingly, the Forest and Climate Change Department conducted several meetings and training programmes at various levels to implement the Narwa Project based on the principle of ‘watershed management’ (i.e., ridge to valley approach of treatment).

Revival and rejuvenation of Narwa (rivulet) networks was considered essential for protection of fertile productive topsoil of land and maintaining the ground water level by ensuring that the streams remain perennial and do not dry off, and thus catering to the essential needs of the ecosystems and the communities round the year.

Using the concept of landscape approach (ridge to valley) which covers a stream with all the orders (primary, secondary, tertiary units), rivulets for treatment were identified and prioritised on the basis of soil erosion. Catchment/ Watershed Area Prioritisation was determined using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE equation). Soil erosion modeling has been done in the GIS domain, and based on the Annual Soil Loss in Tonnes / Ha/ Year, the catchments were prioritised into three priority classes, namely: (i) High Priority, (ii) Moderate Priority, and (iii) Low Priority. A technical team comprising NRM engineers, GIS experts, senior forest officers and field staff, was constituted for preparing a technical DPR. Village communities, Joint Forest Management Committee members, and people’s representatives were involved in the planning process, survey and selection of rivulet / stream for treatment. Geographical information system (GIS)-based data is being used for decision-making. This includes several GIS layers / thematic maps for selection of site as well as drainage line treatment structures. Various training modules were conducted for the forest front-line staff, including mobile applications, GPS- and GIS-based survey, regular monitoring by Natural Resource Management (NRM) engineers, ground validation on the basis of watershed principles, baseline survey to assess current status of forest / river ecosystem, soil erosion, soil moisture, ground water level, and technically sound Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation with the help of well-trained technical team. A protocol for regular coordination and tracking during operational and post-operational stages using mobile apps, and a sound monitoring and evaluation protocol are some of the unique characteristics of this project.

Approach

• Stage 1: Identification of suitable Nalas (rivulets) to be treated;

• Stage 2: Baseline survey and data collection;

• Stage 3: Identifying the catchment area of the Nala based on watershed principles;

• Stage 4: GIS-based planning for Detailed Project Report (DPR);

• Stage 5: Field verification/ground truthing of proposed water-harvesting structures (Right Structure at the Right Place);

• Stage 6: Detailed designing, drawing & estimation (Excel-based tools);

• Stage 7: Finalisation of work & compilation of DPR;

• Stage 8: Implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Outcomes of the project:

A total of 135.84 lakh soil and water conservation structures have been constructed from 2019 to 2023. This is still a work in progress. The initiative has resulted in treatment of 22.93 lakhs forest catchment area of Mahanadi, Godavari, Ganga and Brahmani River basins. It is also one of the major initiatives that takes care of the micro-irrigation facilities of the forest dwellers. This project has resulted in an increase in forest regeneration, enhancement of ground water, and reduction in human-wildlife conflict in Chhattisgarh. Farmers in remote forest areas are benefited due to sustained supply of water for agriculture. There is also a tremendous increase in green cover in the state.

This wonderful initiative under the inspired leadership of Sreenivas Rao, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Chhattisgarh, is sustainable and replicable in the true spirit of Nexus of Good. It can be easily adopted by the local communities, forest dwellers, joint forest management communities, farmers as well as by various institutions involved in natural resource management.

Views expressed are personal