Evaluation of the soil and water conservation plans

(See Section 18) EVALUATION OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PLANS Soil and WATER conservation plans needs to be evaluated or appraised periodically for identifying technical approaches for measuring benefits and collecting time series data for the purpose and to identify the kinds of benefits and also their sub-divisions. The benefits will comprise in general as follows :- A. PROTECTIVE BENEFITS : (i) Direct land protection against erosion such as gullying ; (ii) Protection to the existing production from eroding lands mentioned under (1) above ; (iii) Appreciated value of restored land ; (iv) Proportionate investment on dam and its command, protected under major, medium and minor irrigation projects. B. PRODUCTIVE BENEFITS : (i) Additional rainfed production from catchment of the structure ; (ii) Additional production from mini command of the structures ; (iii) Production from restored and irrigated lands which were otherwise cut of cultivation or plant management. C. EMPLOYMENT GENERATION : (i) Casual employment due to construction of bunds, terraces, raising of plantation etc ; (ii) Regular employment due to intensification of land management or improvement of cropping/pant management ; (iii) Ratio of the post-project employment (regular) can be termed as employment improvement ratio and taken as an index for charging the effectiveness of the plan and its implementation. The evaluation shall take into account the investment made on plan/treatment etc. (iv) Land treatment ; (v) Land restoration ; (vi) Construction of erosion control and water harvesting structures ; (vii) Mini Command Development. In order to carry out such analysis it would be necessary to select certain mini project areas representing typical package of conservation practices and provide adequate funds and personnel for collection of pre-project and post project date. The collection of data can be of two categories :- (i) Hydologic and sedimentation including climatic and watershed attributes ; and (ii) Socio-economic data which will cover family, size and economics, holdings, crop and plant management production and return, employment.