Shivraj Singh Chouhan Launches Watershed Yatra

Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the national-level mass outreach campaign “Watershed Yatra” on February 4, 2025, to promote awareness and active participation in watershed development activities under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0). The campaign’s goal is to involve communities in soil and water conservation efforts while promoting sustainable management of natural resources, ultimately boosting agricultural productivity, improving livelihoods, and enhancing environmental health throughout India.

Key Features of the Watershed Yatra Campaign

• The event was launched in hybrid mode, allowing nationwide participation.
• The launch saw the presence of Union Ministers of State Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Shri Kamlesh Paswan, who addressed the gathering.
• More than 800 Gram Panchayats and over one lakh individuals took part in the launch event.
• Officials from various States/UTs also participated in physical mode and launched the Yatra in their respective regions simultaneously.

• To generate mass awareness about soil and water conservation and the importance of sustainable watershed management.
• To encourage community participation in the successful implementation of WDC-PMKSY Projects.

• Importance of Watershed Management: Emphasized the significance of soil and water conservation for the present and future generations.
• Public Participation: Urged people to wholeheartedly participate in the campaign to ensure the success of WDC-PMKSY projects.
• Watershed-Community Model: The campaign aims to foster collaboration under the “Public-Private-People Partnership (4Ps)” model.
• Watershed Janbhagidari Pratiyogita: A competition under WDC-PMKSY 2.0 for the years 2025 and 2026, to recognize exemplary watershed management efforts.
• Projects with outstanding contributions will receive an additional reward of Rs. 20 lakh each, with a total provision of Rs 70.80 crore.

• Watershed Mahotsav & Watershed ki Panchayat: Focus on community engagement and knowledge sharing on sustainable practices.
• Shramdan and Bhumi-Jal Pitch: Encourage local participation in construction and maintenance of water harvesting structures.
• Awards and Recognitions: Recognition of watershed leaders and community contributors.

• The campaign includes a Learning Management System (LMS) on Watershed Development available on the DoLR website, linked to MY Bharat portal.
• A certificate will be awarded to participating youths, motivating them to take part in future conservation activities.

• The Watershed Yatra will cover 805 projects, 6673 Gram Panchayats (13587 villages) across 26 States and 2 UTs.
• The campaign will span 60-90 days, focusing on sustainable soil and water management practices.

• The initiative aims to strengthen public participation through Shramdan and other community-driven efforts.
• The involvement of youth volunteers will help create a cadre of trained watershed workers and leaders, ensuring the long-term success of watershed management efforts.