Success Stories -NL -Final - Department of Land Resources

With a vision to manage and utilize runoff water for sustainable land management ,increase
agricultural production , to develop suitable site-specific soil and water conservation
measures and also to improve land and water resources for income generating enterprises
and to maintain the ecological balance IWDP project has been introduced.
Activities taken up under IWDP Longleng project-1 can be broadly classified into two general
categories, namely production and treatment activities. Production activity consisted of
afforestation, horticulture development and cash crops. Tree species of high commercial
values such as, teak, gamari, hollock etc. were planted under afforestation. Major crops
under horticulture & plantation crops consisted of oranges, banana, betel vine, sugarcane,
etc. have been introduced to the project communities to fetch good economic return within
short term.
Soil & water works activity consisted of building bench terraces, contour bunds, check dams
and water harvesting structures were taken up to improve the water table . At the same time
it would help to go for seasonal crop growth for economic benefit and also to retain the jhum
land from erosion.
Conservation structures have been built in the micro-watershed to prevent the degradation
of forest due to jhumming, splash from rain drops and gully from runoff which may cause
serious soil erosion.
Numbers of trainings were imparted to the project community for participation in watershed
development. Various PRA tools were used in imparting trainings to the Watershed
Committee members, project Users Group & Self Help Groups. Besides awareness,
meetings, demonstration, field visit, exposure trips, audio-visual aid were used to create
interest and enthuse the project stakeholders. Innovative ideas have also been introduced to
the people such as economic kitchen, bee keeping, broom stick cultivation etc.
Photo 2 . Farmers take off an exposure visit
Photo 3 . On hands training during field
visit
A total of 105 SHGs has been already formed till date and registered under LRD, and out of
which 85 are still active. Activities such as kitchen garden, backyard poultry, weaving and
micro-financing are their main components. Each group has an average income of Rs.
35,000/- annually.
Under afforestation, tree species such as Gamari, Hollock & Khokon was introduced.
However, Hollock and Khokon were taken as major species, of 280000 nos of standing
Khokon tree covering an average of 312 Ha. may fetch an amount of Rs 280 lakhs when
sold @ Rs 100 per cft at present value. And for 2,40,000 nos of standing Hollock tree in 267
Ha an amount of 240 lakhs can be fetched when sold @Rs 100 per cft. at present value.
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