Lolab, Apr 26: Union Ministry of Rural Development has launched the Integrated Wasteland Development Programme in three community development blocks of this district. The flagship programme of the ministry is aimed to treat the degraded lands and improve the micro-irrigation facilities in drought prone Kandi belt which was badly hit by the drought last year. The blocks in which the IWDP has been launched include Wavoora (Lolab), Kupwara, and Langate.
 “Under this centrally sponsored programme 26 micro-watershed projects have already been sanctioned and more than 13000 hectares of land are being brought under the purview of the programme,” officials concerned told Greater Kashmir.  They said Rs 8 crores have already been released under the programme and “more funds are expected shortly as more than 7 project proposals are in pipeline.”
 “The IWDP has conventionally been aimed to treat degraded lands with the help of low cost and locally accessed technologies such as insitu soil and moisture conservation measures, afforestation
 Etc, and through a participatory approach that seeks to secure close involvement of the user-communities,” said Gulzar Ahmad Shah, District Project Officer IWDP Kupwara.
 “The broad objective was the promotion of the overall economic development and improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the poor sections of people inhabiting the programme areas.”
 On selection of IWDP area, Shah said: “The kandi belt of the district which remains highly drought prone and has acute shortage of drinking water with preponderance of non forest wastelands/degraded lands and inhabited with scheduled tribes and other poor sections are being prioritized for this flagship programme.” “Efforts are being made to develop the small water harvesting structures such as low-cost farm ponds, nalla bunds, check-dams and percolation tanks and ground water recharge sources, improvement of irrigation facilities.”
 Pertinently hundreds of villages of Kupwara were affected by dry spell last year.  These villages had been declared as drought hit and centre had agreed to supply two months’ free ration as immediate assistance.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST