Govt asked to spend Rs 10,000 crore per year for watershed dev.

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) To deal with water scarcity in various parts of the country, the government needs to allocate Rs 10,000 crore per annum for the next 15 years and set up a National Authority for Sustainable Development of Rainfed Areas, an expert committee has recommended.

Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh told reporters here today the Parthasarthy Committee set up by the UPA government last year has suggested that an Apex Rainfed Areas Stakeholders Council, headed by the Prime Minister, will provide overall policy support and guidance to the Board and review the performance of the National Authority (NASDORA).

The quasi-independent National Authority will manage all Central government funded watershed programmes under one umbrella with a view of implementing them on a Mission Mode.

Such Authority must be endowed with autonomy, functionally focused, operationally integrated and attuned to collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders, the Committee has recommended.

It has also suggested that Rs 10,000 crore per annum should be come from two sources-- doubling the allocation of current programme outlays on watershed development that would yield around Rs 5000 crore and allocation of the same amount under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme should be especially earmarked for watershed programmes.

''We had set up the Parthasarthy Committee in view of grave water scarcity being faced by many parts of the country suggesting third world war would be fought on water issue. The Committee has given its initial report and wide-ranging discussion would be held after which a decision regarding implementation of its recommendations would be taken up,'' Dr Singh said.

He said 400 of the 600 districts of the country are currently facing water scarcity and the government has given top priority to watershed development under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

However, it has not yet made clear cut earmarking of funds for watershed development.

According to Dr Singh, the report stressed for increasing the duration of the programmes from five to eight years and divide it into three phases--preparatory Phase, Resource Augumentation and Institution Building Phase and Sustainable Livelihood and Productivity Enhancement Phase.

It has also emphasised for proper monitoring programme and peoples participation in water conservation and watershed development.

Special provisions must be made for landless, Dalits and common area development,he said. Transparency and accountablity should be ensured and clear prioritisation of objectives be done, he added.

Dr Singh said the report of the committee would be studied and deliberated on various level following which a final dicision would be taken.U NI AJ AK BST1835