Can watershed-based interventions be a panacea to looming water crisis? -An evaluative study in the tribal villages of Odisha

Being an agricultural country the farmers in India heavily dependent on monsoon agriculture. As a result of which during nonmonsoon season there has been exponentially increased dependence on underground water over the years which in turn has substantially depleted the water tables. As such, the problem of water scarcity has loomed large due to falling water tables resulting in shrinking of cropland, soil erosion and desertification. Watershed approach as a strategy seems more pragmatic in view of its socio-economic and ecological impacts on the livelihoods of the impoverished tribes and as such, an attempt has been made in this paper to discuss the pro-poor implications of watershed in among the tribes that have occurred as a result of the implementation of watershed program. The findings of the study show that watershed developments have greater potential to tackle the drinking water problem and generate employment opportunities to the rural people.