Success Stories -NL -Final - Department of Land Resources

H.1. Reaping Rich Dividends through Watershed
Programme
A Case Study from Kohima, Nagaland
Problem Statement
Tseminyu sub-division of Kohima district with a total geographical area of about 284.36 sq.
km occupies the northern part of Kohima. Under IWDP
Kohima-V (Tseminyu sub-division) watershed, 16
villages were covered with a treatment area of 8200
ha. The villages are Sendenyu, Henbeju, Terogunyu,
Phenwhenyu, Kashanyu, Zisunyu, Tseminyu Village,
Phenshunyu, Khenyu, Ziphenyu, Tesophenyu New,
Nsunyu, Chunlikha, Gukhanyu, K.Nyishunyu, and
Tsonsa. The project was sanctioned during 2003 and
completed in March 2008 and it has benefited a total of
3,303 households. Agriculture is the mainstay of the
people here and vast area practices jhum cultivation.
The socio-economic status of the people is very low
due to lack of resources and economic opportunity
which leads to migration to urban areas. Large scale
jhumming is practiced leading to excess soil erosion
and degradation of natural flora and fauna. To add to
the woes there is acute shortage of water for drinking
and farming activities.
Objectives and Methodology
Taking into consideration the above situation efforts were initiated through the project to
uplift the socio-economic status of the villagers which would result in reduction of migration,
to recharge the ground water in the project area and change the pattern of cultivation from
shifting to permanent cultivation. Overall it was expected that these initiatives would restore
the ecological balance and bring about environmental improvement.
The project was implemented mainly
to reclaim the vast jhum land which
lay barren, for afforestation,
horticulture, and cash crop cultivation
and incorporate it with various soil and
moisture conservation measures,
thereby providing subsistence to the
farmers. The IWDP, which
emphasizes on bottom up planning
approach, was well accepted by the
local people. All the activities were
tailored to suit local conditions and
that easily fitted into the jhum system.
The major activities undertaken were:
Photo 1. Map indicating the project
area (Tseminyu sub-division) in Kohima
District
Photo 1. A view of the project area devastated by Jhum
before the Project
afforestation, horticulture, cash crop cultivation, soil and moisture conservation measures
like bench terraces, contour bunds and water harvesting structures, formation of SHGs.
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