Community
» Soil Conservation
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Halting the Death
of Soil in Damodar Valley
Damodar Valley Corporation is working since 1949-50
to tackle the soil erosional problems in upper Damodar-Barakar
catchment area through soil and water conservation/integrated
watershed management programmes with multidisciplinary
approach by its Soil Conservation Department located
at Hazaribagh.
The total problem
area which needs soil conservation work is 11.47
lakh hectares. Out of this, 5.328 lakh hectares
have been covered by soil conservation activities.
Again out of 7.27 lakh hectares priority problem
area, 73.29% has already been covered. In the coming
years work will be carried out in remaining areas.
Objectives
of Soil Conservation Work
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Control soil
erosion by integrated watershed management
- Check siltation in DVC reservoirs
- Improve moisture regime by in
situ moisture conservation
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Retain soil
fertility for sustained production of food,
fibre and fuel for the inhabitants
- Water harvesting as life saving
irrigation
- Generating reliable data base
for designing soil conservation structure
- Assure crop production
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Green belt
creation in and around DVC projects as pollution
control measures
- Converting cultivable wasteland
into cultivable land
- Impart training to govt. officers,
engineering students, farmers, NGOs etc.
Operational
Ambit
| Jharkhand |
Palamau, Ranchi,
Hazaribagh, Giridih,
Dhanbad, Bokaro, Santhal parganas and
Dumka districts.
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| West Bengal |
Purulia district |
Control Measures to Heal the Land
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Afforestation/Silvi
Pastoral Development/Contour Trenching/Rehabilitation
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Field hedge,
pasture and horticultural development, drainage
line treatments, silt detention dams, renovation
of ponds, reclamation of land, demonstrations
on crops, fertiliser application, moisture conservation
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Construction
of water harvesting structures.
Afforestation
DVC has brought around more than
2,00,000 ha of forest and waste land under forest
cover through its afforestation programme.
Watershed
Management
Watershed management is the activity
through which DVC is helping to preserve the delicate
ecological balance of nature. Combating soil erosion
and decay of soil specifically in the upper valley
region and conserving the life of dams are major
concerns for DVC.
Different strategies adopted through
watershed management have been contributed significantly
to the life span of DVC’s reservoirs. There
has been a 50% depletion in sediment production
in comparison to pre-conservation stage. Sedimentation
has been reduced to 3.20 ha mtr./100 sq. km per
year from 7.9 ha mtr./100 sq. km per year.
The yearly siltation rate of Panchet
dam has come down from 2% to 0.2% and in Maithon
from 1.5% to 1.35%.
Research
& Training On Soil Conservation
DVC’s 142 ha soil conservation
experiment station has created a data bank on
climate, erosion, run-off and soil loss. It also
conducts research on land use covering agronomy,
agrostrology, forestry, and orchard crops. Effective
and economic techniques of soil and water conservation
are worked out to optimize utilization of land.
Soil is tested in DVC’s Soil Testing Laboratory
with research oriented approach.
Appreciating the pioneering role and expertise
of DVC, Government of India provides subsidy for
running a soil conservation centre at Hazaribagh.
The centre imparts training to project and field
level officers deputed by different government
departments and local farmers.
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