Sustainability in Action
Integrated Watershed Development
ITC's integrated watershed development initiative is a key intervention to reverse moisture stress in some of the more acutely affected, drought-prone districts of the country. This programme was designed to assist farmers in identified moisture-stressed districts through soil and moisture conservation works.
ITC's watershed development seeks to achieve two critical objectives: water conservation and soil enrichment. It constitutes water user groups and trains them to plan and build water harvesting structures like contour bunds, check dams, percolation tanks and farm ponds.
Trained farmers use their knowledge of the terrain to identify locations for building water structures and develop the related micro plans. ITC contributes 75% of the cost, the balance 25% being mobilized by the user groups. The rich silt excavated from percolation tanks is used to enhance soil fertility. User groups raise regular contributions from the farmers to meet the maintenance cost of these water harvesting structures.
Over 4,300 large and small water harvesting structures have been created so far, covering over 1,26,000 hectares in 6 states. Impact assessments of the water harvesting structures show increase in productivity and water availability. There has been a noticeable increase in productivity of maize, soya bean, wheat and mustard. Measured on a year-on-year basis, the pre-monsoon water level has increased in all project areas, demonstrating the success of these measures.
The rainwater harvesting potential created through such structures, together with other water conservation efforts have enabled ITC to achieve the status of being a 'Water Positive' Company. The water harvesting potential created so far is 2 times in excess of the Company's net water consumption.
