Department of Soil & Water Conservation

Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA) in Nagaland

Shifting cultivation (Jhumming) has been the mainstay of the agricultural practice for the Nagas since time immemorial. Therefore this has influence the people to an extend that their very existence is centred around the shifting cultivation. The socio-economy and culture are all influence by this method of agriculture. In those days the land was abundant and with the plentiful rainfall that the area gets; the cycle of shifting cultivation was 20 years or more and the yield was good. However with the increase in population coupled with wanton deforestation for logging and other factors that goes in the name of development, the whole scenario has been changed. Today the landscape present a sore sight of bare hillocks with dried up springs leaving the land to withstand all the forces of nature. The result is catastrophic as this has led to erosion of all the top fertile soil and in time of rainfall and landslides can be seen everywhere. Many permanent water sources have already dried up or are becoming scarcer which have to cater to the ever-increasing demand of the population. All these picture present a very bleak future, if the matter is not taken on top priority basis and alternative sustainable agriculture methods are explore for the farming community.

The GOI is very much aware of the negative effect of shifting cultivation, which is one of the most important factors, which destroys our natural resources in the name of food production. This is more so paramount in the case of the NE states of India.  Therefore, a policy to let the shifting cultivators go for settled cultivation, which is more remunerative and sustainable, was evolved in the form of presenting the scheme of Watershed Development Project in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA). The scheme is aimed at overall Development of jhum areas on watershed basis, reclaiming the land affected by shifting cultivation and socioeconomic up gradation of jhumia families living in these areas so as to encourage them to go in for settled agriculture.  This is an 100% special central assistance to the State plan. The scheme started in the middle of the 8^th Five year plan and there was a very good response to the scheme from the cultivators. In the 10^th five-year Plan the Department of Soil and Water Conservation has projected Rs. 2400.00 lakhs to develop 24000 Ha. of land.

The scheme is spread out all over the state which cover 24 Projects on watershed basis involving 58 villages targeting 11558 shifting cultivation families. Various activities are taken up both in the arable and non-arable land. Rehabilitation programme targeting local artisans and womenfolk are also taken up in the scheme.