Participatory rural appraisal for integrated planning and sustainable watershed development - A case study of Lachhaputtraghati watershed

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is an important tool for taking timely appropriate decisions about developmental activities by joint sitting of primary stakeholders and developmental institutions after analyzing the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats in totality. The technique was adopted in Lachhaputtraghati Watershed at Koraput, Orissa during 2008–09. The Watershed is predominantly inhabited by tribal population living merely at subsistence livelihood level. In general transect, the Watershed was classified in to six types of landforms based on physiography, problems, production potential and opportunities. Income expenditure analysis indicated high risk bearing capacity of large farmers vis a vis low of small farmers. Preference ranking revealed that economic affluent preferred cash crops, fruit tree plantations and animal husbandry whereas small landholders preferred most of their livelihood activity in view of different judgment criteria. Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) technique applied for prioritization of catchment problems indicated that water scarcity for agricultural activities in lean period as their highest priority.