The Government of India has signed a loan agreement with World Bank for the Neeranchal National Watershed Project. The project to be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development over a six-year period (2016-21) will support the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana in hydrology and water management, agricultural production systems, capacity building and monitoring and evaluation. The Neeranchal project was approved by the cabinet in October 2015 with a total budget outlay of Rs.2142 crore with the Government share of Rs.1071 crore and the rest 50% by the World Bank.

Union Minister for Rural Development Birender Singh who presided over the loan signing agreement later told the media that the all 28 states which implement the watershed projects will benefit from Neeranchal. He, however, added that nine states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujrat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana will benefit more from the project due to implementation of large number of watershed schemes in these states.

 Objectives of Neeranchal National Watershed Project 

• Bring about institutional changes in watershed and rainfed agricultural management practices in India.
• Build systems that ensure watershed programmes and rainfed irrigation management practices are better focussed, and more coordinated, and have quantifiable results.
• Devise   strategies   for   the   sustainability   of   improved   watershed, management practices in programme areas, even after the withdrawal of project support.
• Through   the  watershed   plus   approach,   support   improved   equity, livelihoods, and incomes through forward linkages, on a platform of inclusiveness and local participation.