Power Grid Corporation of India, Gurgaon, India is supporting the ICRISAT-led consortium to improve rural livelihoods through farmer-centric integrated watershed management in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Action sites were identified in Bethamcherla mandal in Andhra Pradesh considering the representativeness in terms of soils, landscape, rainfall, crops, socio-economic conditions and other parameters like willingness of farmers and potential to develop. The overall goal of this initiative is to increase agricultural productivity and improve the livelihoods of rural poor in fragile dryland areas on a sustainable basis by enhancing the impact of integrated watershed management programs in the country through capacity-building initiatives using the ‘site of learning’ model in low-rainfall agro-ecoregions. The specific goal of this initiative is to increase agricultural productivity and improve rural livelihoods sustainable in selected villages.
PowerGrid-ICRISAT watershed in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh is located in Bethamcherla mandal and comprises of 10 villages/hamlets under 4 revenue villages, namely – Pendekal, Marrikunta, Venkatagiri and Repalli (Pendekal revenue village), Muddavaram, Musalayacherue, Veraiahpalli (Muddavaram revenue village), Mandalavaripalli (Emboy revenue village), Bugganipalli, G Tanda (Bugganipalli revenue village). This watershed is home to around 20,000 people (4100 households) with most households (71%) being small farmers, 20% medium farmers and only 9% as large farmers. Average annual rainfall in the watershed area is about 675 mm. Out of a total geographical area of about 6500 ha, around 3000 ha is under cultivation. Major crops grown in the watershed villages are maize, groundnut, pigeonpea and sorghum with low crop productivity.
The specific objectives of the project are:
To establish “Model Sites of Learning” in Andhra Pradesh for harnessing the potential of rainfed areas by adopting integrated water resource management approach;
To enhance water availability and its (green and blue water) use efficiency for diversifying the livelihood systems in the target villages by adopting integrated water resource management approach; and
To build capacity of the farmers in the region for improving rural livelihoods through knowledge sharing and dissemination strategy
