IMPACT OF WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON EMPLOYMENT GENERATION AND MIGRATION: A CASE STUDY IN PAKALA MANDAL OF CHITTOOR DISTRICT

Mr. G.EKAMBARAM; Dr. B; NAGARAJA

Volume : IV, Issue : VI, June - 2015

IMPACT OF WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON EMPLOYMENT GENERATION AND MIGRATION: A CASE STUDY IN PAKALA MANDAL OF CHITTOOR DISTRICT

Mr. G. Ekambaram, Dr. B, Nagaraja

Abstract :

This research paper exclusively depending upon primary data collected by conducting a filed survey in the villages which come under the command of Irramgari palle watershed project constructed in Pakala revenue mandal of Chittoor district. The field work was conducted with the objectives of analyzing the effect of watershed project on employment generation in general and with particular reference to the size of land holdings. A modest attempt was also made to estimate the average no. of person days of employment for the sample farmer households, comprising 135 beneficiary farmers in the command of the watershed project and 100 farmers selected from the villages of non–watershed area having the similar socio–economic features. An attempt was also made to estimate the migratory status of the sample farmers in terms of migratory labor period and the expenses incurred for reaching the migratory point visited in search of employment, which was not estimated by the previous studies. A comparison is made between the farmers selected from watershed villages (135) and outside of the watershed area, treating as �control group� (non–watershed area=100) to analyze the benefits received by the watershed technology. It was identified that qualitative improvement has taken place for the sample farmers in watershed area, compared to non–watershed area. As the survey year happens to be 2014–15, which is the second year after completion of the project, the sample farmers are yet reap the fruits of watershed technology as it was noted that migration has not completely arrested. It is hoped that qualitative shifts in cropping pattern, employment generation certainly exerts a positive influence on reducing the poverty of the beneficiary farmers in the coming years.