- Why in news
- On 1 September 2026, Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviewed progress of WDC-PMKSY 2.0 and asked States to speed up projects towards a 'Drought-Free India'.
- What it is
- The Watershed Development Component is one part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). It funds watershed projects in rainfed and degraded areas to conserve soil and water, recharge groundwater and raise farm productivity. The Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development runs it, with Centre-State funding.
- Projects sanctioned
- 1,220 projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares have been sanctioned under WDC-PMKSY 2.0.
- Central share
- Total sanctioned cost is ₹12,404 crore, of which the central share is ₹8,134 crore.
- Water structures
- 1.24 lakh water harvesting structures have been built or rejuvenated, such as check dams, percolation tanks and farm ponds.
- Protective irrigation
- Additional protective irrigation was created over 3.08 lakh hectares, helping rainfed farmers in drought.
- Parent scheme
- WDC is one of the components of PMKSY, along with Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and Har Khet Ko Pani.
- Outreach
- The Ministry ran 'Watershed Yatra' and 'Watershed Festival' to make watershed development a mass movement.
Don’t confuse with WDC-PMKSY vs AIBP / Har Khet Ko Pani: WDC (Rural Development) does watershed and rainfed area work; AIBP and Har Khet Ko Pani are run by Jal Shakti for irrigation projects and water sources.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Builds drought resilience and protective irrigation in rainfed areas.
- Raises cropping intensity, farm incomes and rural employment.
Problems
- Slow implementation and delays in State-level projects.
- Past evaluation focused on expenditure rather than outcomes.
Way forward
- Use technology and monitoring to track measurable outcomes such as water availability and crop intensity.
- Strengthen community participation and convergence with other rural schemes.
Put in your answer
Employment: The programme generated 2.85 crore man-days of employment.
- 2016Mains GS1 · Q20How micro-watershed development helps water conservation in drought-prone semi-arid regions
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q4Impact of National Watershed Project on agricultural production in water-stressed areas
- 2016Mains GS1 · Q15How effective management of land and water resources reduces human miseries
- 2014Prelims Q56Benefits of Integrated Watershed Development Programme: which statements are correct
- 2026Prelims Q28Objectives of Rainfed Area Development initiative under NMSA
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY): 1. It is one of the components of PMKSY. 2. It is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. 3. Under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, 1,220 projects covering 52.93 lakh hectares have been sanctioned so far. 4. The programme has created additional protective irrigation over about 3.08 crore hectares.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.Under WDC-PMKSY 2.0, 1,220 projects covering about 52.93 lakh hectares have been sanctioned so far.
True. 1,220 projects over 52.93 lakh hectares sanctioned.
2.The central share of the sanctioned cost of the projects is ₹8,134 crore.
True. Central share is ₹8,134 crore out of ₹12,404 crore.
3.The programme has created additional protective irrigation over about 3.08 crore hectares.
False. The area is 3.08 lakh hectares.
4.Structures built or rejuvenated under the programme include check dams, percolation tanks and farm ponds.
True. Check dams, percolation tanks and farm ponds are covered.
5.The Watershed Development Component is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
False. It is implemented by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development.
6.The Watershed Development Component is one of the components of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana.
True. WDC is a component of PMKSY.
7.About 28.50 lakh farmers have benefitted from the programme so far.
True. 28.50 lakh farmers benefitted.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.