Itanagar, Feb 6: The Department of Rural Development today launched the Watershed Yatra as part of a nationwide mass outreach campaign initiated by the Centre's Department of Land Resources under the Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana 2.0 (WDC-PMKSY-2.0).
The campaign, aimed at generating public awareness and participation in watershed development, was simultaneously flagged-off across the country.
The national launch of the campaign was conducted from Madhya Pradesh by Rural Development and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at 12:20 PM.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the initiative was flagged-off at 1 PM by MLA & advisor to the minister of rural development, Tanya Soki. The event was organized by the directorate of rural development, and the project director of rural development, Yupia.
The programme began with a welcome speech by project director (rural development) Bengia Yakar, followed by an address by director of rural development Tajin Jonnom, who outlined the objectives of the Watershed Yatra.
Speaking at the launch, Soki emphasized the significance of the WDC-PMKSY 2.0 scheme in addressing water scarcity and urged the public to take advantage of the program. He also highlighted the growing need for water conservation and the collective responsibility to protect and preserve natural resources.
Joint director of rural engineering, Chera Sanjiv, in his concluding remarks, provided a detailed overview of the Watershed Yatra, its objectives, and its implementation strategy.
He informed the gathering that the campaign will cover 18 districts, 49 blocks, and 51 project areas, with participation from the Yatra Van team, drama teams, and officials from the state level nodal agency.
The Watershed Yatra will commence from Papum Pare district and is scheduled to conclude on March 18, in Kamle district.