Evaluation of Watershed Development Programme under NWDPRA using Remote Sensing and GIS

The evaluation and monitoring of watershed development programme is of prime importance to assess the conservation of natural resources and efficacy of its utilization. The conventional methods of watershed evaluation are cumbersome and time consuming. Moreover, they do not give synoptic view of the study area. Therefore, remote sensing and GIS is the appropriate tool for evaluating and monitoring the changes in the watershed due to development programme. We get repetivity as well as we can compare both, pre-and-post development situation of watershed for detection of changes. The study area was Sawarde Bk. Watershed (14/08/01 KR 69/2) of Kagal Taluk, Dist. Kolhapur during the period 1991–92 to 1995–96. The parameters used to study the impact of watershed development programme were land use, runoff and socio-economic status of the beneficiaries. The study revealed that the area under agriculture in the watershed increased after the launch of watershed development programme. The watershed development works have resulted in decrease in the runoff from the watershed and slight increase in water harvesting. On the socio-economic front, the literacy and the level of education of the people in the watershed has increased. The watershed development programme under NWDPRA created positive impact on agriculture and socio-economic condition.