The World Bank has approved US$170 million for carrying out second phase of Uttarakhand Decentralised Watershed Development Project (GRAMYA) in the mountain State.
The World Bank has almost doubled the amount that it sanctioned for the first phase of the GRAMYA project, increasing the amount this time upto $170 Million, Gauri Shankar, Project Director, GRAMYA phase 2, tald The Pioneer. Out of the aforesaid sanctioned amount an amount of $120.40 million will be spent on participatory watershed development management, $18.80 million on enhancing livelihood opportunities and related works, $8.20 million on strengthening of institutions, and $22.70 million on project management, he added.
Under the GRAMYA phase-2 which will continue till 2020 the main focus would be on how to equip 3.18 lakh population of 1,066 revenue villages located across 509 gram panchayat in Uttarakhand with basic resources of livelihood, informed the officials concerned. The areas which have to be covered under this GRAMYA-phase-2 project include Dhauladevi and Bhaisiychhana of Almora, Mori, Nogaon and Purola of Uttarkashi, Kalsi and Chakrata and Raipur of Dehradun, Jaunpur of Tehari, Ukhimath, Jakholi and Augustymuni of Rudraprayag, Munsyari, Didihat and Berinag of Pithoagarh, Kapkot of Bageshwar and Pokhra and Ekeshwar of Pauri, the officials concerned of the GRAMYA phase 2 project said.
It is worth mention here that about 70 per cent of population of the State primarily depends on agriculture for livelihood. But the fact is that only 14.02 per cent land is under cultivation in the hill State. And more importantly, more than 55 per cent the cultivated land in the State is rain-fed, they maintained. At the same time, because of the excessive exploitation of natural resources by the inhabitants for a living, many areas of the State are presently facing degradation of natural resources.
Therefore, as the officials concerned said, the main objective of running this decentralised watershed development project is to increase the productivity and income of the rural inhabitants of the State on priority basis through sustainable management of the natural resources. So, at a time when many parts of the State particularly the hilly districts of the State which had to experience a devastating monsoon this season, clearance of this project, as its names suggests, the decentralised watershed management project of second phase could go a long way in helping the affected people of these natural disaster hit areas of Uttarakhand in the times to come.