The report begins in Chapter 1 by building the case for an enlarged and reformed watershed programme in India. For the first time since the mid-sixties, the 1990s witnessed a rate of growth of foodgrain production that was lower than the rate of growth of population. While irrigated agriculture appears to be hitting a plateau, dryland farming has suffered neglect. In Chapter 1, we argue that an increased thrust to rainfed areas through greater emphasis on a reformed watershed programme may hold the key to meeting this challenge. Our review shows that the limits to further expansion of surface and groundwater irrigation through big dams and tubewells are being reached rapidly. This makes the urgency of a different strategy for India\'s drylands even greater.
Parthasarathy Report 2 : Action Points
by S. Parthasarathy, Ministry of Rural Development, 26 January, 2006