(a) whether the Union Government is aware of the scarcity of
water in the Desert Development Programme (DDP) areas as compared
to the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP) areas; and
(b) if so, the measures taken by the Government to check
desertification and provide sustainable water supply to DDP areas?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES & MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)
(a) As per the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development,
which is concerned with the implementation of the DDP and DPAP, no survey about
the scarcity of water in DDP/DPAP areas has been undertaken.
(b) The Department of Land Resources has integrated the DDP and DPAP with
integrated Wasteland Development Programme into a single modified programme
called Integrated Watershed Management Programme with effect from 26 February 2009.
The main aims of the Integrated Watershed Management Programme are harnessing,
conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative
cover and water; prevention of soil run-off; rainwater harvesting and recharging
of the ground water table; increasing the productivity of crops; introduction
of multi-cropping and diverse agro-based activities; promoting sustainable
livelihoods and increasing the household incomes.