National Rural Employment Guarantee Act National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
NREGA for Water Management
30th October, 2009
Dr. Rita Sharma Dr. Rita Sharma
Secretary to Government of India Secretary to Government of India
Ministry of Rural Development Ministry of Rural Development
NREGA
NREGA – – objective objective
supplement wagesupplement wage--employmentemployment opportunities in rural areas
opportunities in rural areas –– provide a provide a safety net to rural poor
safety net to rural poor
create sustainable rural livelihoodscreate sustainable rural livelihoods
through rejuvenation of natural resource through rejuvenation of natural resource
base
base –– land, water, forestsland, water, forests
Strengthen Strengthen grassrootgrassroot democraticdemocratic processes
processes and infuse transparency and and infuse transparency and accountability in rural governance
accountability in rural governance
Unique Features of NREGA Unique Features of NREGA
Provides Provides 100 days of legally guaranteed 100 days of legally guaranteed wagewage--employmentemployment in a year to every rural in a year to every rural
household
household –– creates legal entitlements creates legal entitlements
Employment is generated by undertaking Employment is generated by undertaking community & private works in rural areas community & private works in rural areas
Highest Priority to Water Conservation in Highest Priority to Water Conservation in Choice of Works
Choice of Works
Nature of works undertaken is such that it Nature of works undertaken is such that it leads to creation of
leads to creation of Green JobsGreen Jobs
Informing People of their Rights Informing People of their Rights
Registration
Registration
Village level Worker Making a Job Village level Worker Making a Job
CardCard
Workers with Job Cards
Workers with Job Cards
Job Card Holders
Job Card Holders
Scale of Implementation Scale of Implementation
•• Employment provided to 4.5 Employment provided to 4.5 crcr households in households in 20082008--09, In 200909, In 2009--10 estimated 5.5 cr.10 estimated 5.5 cr.
•• 52% workers are women52% workers are women
•• Expenditure incurred in 2008Expenditure incurred in 2008--09 was over 09 was over Rs. Rs. 27,250 cr. In 2009
27,250 cr. In 2009--10 estimated 10 estimated RsRs. 50,000 cr. . 50,000 cr.
•• Employment per HH was 48 days in 08Employment per HH was 48 days in 08-09, in 2009-09, in 2009-- 10 estimated 65 days
10 estimated 65 days
•• Average wage rate Average wage rate Rs. 84Rs. 84 per day in 08per day in 08--09, in 200909, in 2009-- 10 (Sept)
10 (Sept) RsRs. 89. 89
•• 25 25 lakhlakh works undertaken in ‘works undertaken in ‘09-09-10 in 619 districts10 in 619 districts
NREGA: Positive Trends NREGA: Positive Trends
• Increase in Agriculture Minimum Wages and wage earned per day and annual income.
• Bargaining power of labour has increased
• Earnings per HH has increased from Rs 2795 in 2006-’07 to Rs
3150 in 2007-’08 to Rs 4060 in 2008-’09 and estimated Rs 5500 in the current year
• Financial Inclusion: About 8 crore accounts opened
• Distress migration has reduced in many parts
• “Green Jobs” created as nearly 70% works relate to water conservation, water-harvesting, restoration, renovation and desilting of water bodies, drought-proofing, plantation &
afforestation
• Productivity effects of NREGA reported
- Improvement in ground water Improvement in ground water
-- Improved agricultural productivity & cropping intensity Improved agricultural productivity & cropping intensity
-- Livelihood diversification in rural areasLivelihood diversification in rural areas 1010
Women in
Women in RainfedRainfed AreasAreas
Plantation Works
Tree Plantation Tree Plantation
Training and Capacity Building Training and Capacity Building
Wage Payment through Post office
Wage Payment through Post office
Wage Payment through Smart Card
Wage Payment through Smart Card
1%
8%
6%
10%
17%
14%
3%
19%
23%
Flood Control and Protection
Water Conservation and Water Harvesting
Provision of Irrigation facility to Land Owned by SC/ST/BPL/ IAY Beneficiaries
Rural Connectivity
Land Development
Others
Drought Proofing (Afforestation
& Plantation)
Micro Irrigation Works
Renovation of Traditional Water bodies
Highest Priority to Water Conservation in Choice of Works under NREGA: Financial Year 2009-10
Type of Work
Number of total works
Total
Expenditure
Benefit Created
(in million units)
Water Conservation and Water Harvesting 9.08 lakh Rs. 14,600 cr. 251 Cu Mt.
Renovation of Traditional Water bodies 3.38 lakh Rs. 7,000 cr. 272 Cu Mt Micro Irrigation Works 2.20 lakh Rs. 2600 cr. 0.1 Km Provision of Irrigation facility on Private
Lands 7.66 lakh Rs. 3000 cr. 0.2 Hectare
Drought Proofing (Afforestation) 2.72 lakh Rs. 4000 cr. 1 Hectare
Land Development 6.40 lakh Rs. 4700 cr. 2 Hectare
Rural Connectivity 7.11 lakh Rs. 16,400 cr. 1 Km
Works under NREGA in 3 years Works under NREGA in 3 years
2006 2006 - - 07 to 2008 07 to 2008 - - 09 09
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Nature of Works Nature of Works
•• Water basedWater based
» Water conservation
» Water harvesting
» Micro and minor irrigation works
» Provision of irrigation facilities
» Desilting of tanks
» Renovation of traditional water bodies
» Flood control and protection works
•• Land basedLand based
» Land development
•• Forest/ AgroForest/ Agro--ForestryForestry
» Afforestation
» Horticulture
•• InfrastructureInfrastructure
» Rural roads
Nature of Works Nature of Works
(As per Schedule I of NREG Act) (As per Schedule I of NREG Act)
Community Lands
• Water conservation
• Water harvesting
• Drought proofing
• Plantation &
Afforestation
• Renovation of water bodies
• Desilting of tanks & canals
• Land Development
• Flood control measures
• Rural connectivity
Private Lands Private Lands
• On land owned by SC/ST/IAY/Land
Reform beneficiaries, BPL/ Small & Marginal Farmers
– Irrigation facilities
(dug-wells, farm ponds, recharge structures)
– Plantation – Horticulture
Dug Well, Madhya Pradesh
Pond, Madhya Pradesh
Water Conservation
Desilting of Irrigation Channel
Convergence with NREGA Convergence with NREGA
• Large public investments are being made under NREGA.
• Need for dovetailing these investments for establishing synergy, enhance economic
opportunities and create conditions for sustainable development.
• Detailed guidelines for convergence
between NREGA and MoWR schemes issued
• 115 districts for piloting convergence identified.
27
Convergence of
Convergence of ProgrammesProgrammes of Ministry of Water Resources of Ministry of Water Resources with NREGS for effective Water conservation and efficient with NREGS for effective Water conservation and efficient
Water use Water use
• Artificial Recharge of Ground Water through Dug well
• Repair, Renovation and Restoration of water bodies directly linked to Agriculture/ Aquaculture
• Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme
• Flood Management Programme
• Farmer’s Participation Action Research Programme
• Command Area Development & Water Management Programme
• Value Addition: The work of Canal plantation and Canal fair weather road may be carried out under NREGA as value addition.
Inter
Inter--SectoralSectoral ConvergenceConvergence
for creation of Durable Productive Assets for creation of Durable Productive Assets
•• From mere wage employment to sustainable From mere wage employment to sustainable rural livelihoods
rural livelihoods
•• From unskilled to skilled From unskilled to skilled labourlabour through through knowledge & technology input, training &
knowledge & technology input, training &
capacity building in productivity increases, capacity building in productivity increases,
water
water--use efficiency, drip irrigation, zerouse efficiency, drip irrigation, zero-- tillage,
tillage, SRIsSRIs, ,
“ “ more crop per drop more crop per drop ” ”
•• Significant productivity increases could be Significant productivity increases could be
stimulated by NREGA on holdings of small and stimulated by NREGA on holdings of small and
marginal farmers in
marginal farmers in rainfedrainfed areasareas
NREGA – Water Management
Supply Side Management
* rain-water harvesting
* ground-water recharge
* maximizing surface water use for recharge
Demand Side Management
* efficient on-farm water management
* promoting water-saving technologies (drip)
* suitable cropping patterns (SRI)
* promoting conjunctive use
* community/ group dynamics for equitable distribution
Water Management is as much organizational and social as it is technical
Livelihoods of rural poor based on natural resources
Land, Water, Biodiversity
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Forest Produce
Two-thirds of households derive income directly from natural sources
Natural resources are threatened by stresses
Biotic & Abiotic
Climate Change -- an additional stress
Poor are most vulnerable to Climate Change
Poor are first and worst affected – least contributed to it
Agriculture & natural resource based livelihoods at immediate risk
Rural poor do not have resources to cope
Vulnerabilities of Rural Poor
Vulnerabilities of Rural Poor
Impacts of Climate Change Impacts of Climate Change
1.1. Climate variability; interClimate variability; inter--annual and annual and intra
intra--seasonal variations in rainfall, seasonal variations in rainfall, droughts and floods.
droughts and floods.
2.2. LongLong--term Climate change; Changes term Climate change; Changes in temperature, rainfall, droughts,
in temperature, rainfall, droughts, floods,
floods, increase in extreme eventsincrease in extreme events 3.3. Greater water stressGreater water stress
4.4. Degradation of resourcesDegradation of resources
NREGA
NREGA – – Poverty Alleviation Poverty Alleviation Programme Programme yields
yields Co Co - - benefits benefits of of Adaptation Adaptation to to Climate Change
Climate Change
Coping with increasing water stress Coping with increasing water stress
–– water conservation/ rainwater harvestingwater conservation/ rainwater harvesting –– increased irrigationincreased irrigation
–– enhancing waterenhancing water--use efficiencyuse efficiency
–– land development leading to iland development leading to improvementmprovement in in soil water
soil water--holding capacity / reduction in soil holding capacity / reduction in soil erosion
erosion
Coping with extreme events Coping with extreme events
–– employment Security employment Security -- Income during nonIncome during non-- agricultural seasons
agricultural seasons
–– forestry & horticultural incomesforestry & horticultural incomes
–– drought proofing & flood protection drought proofing & flood protection
NREGA
NREGA – – Poverty Alleviation Poverty Alleviation Programme Programme yields
yields Co Co - - benefits benefits of of Mitigation Mitigation Carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration
Land development; soil conservationLand development; soil conservation
Tree planting activitiesTree planting activities
AfforestationAfforestation & Horticulture& Horticulture
•• Joint Convergence Guidelines issued withJoint Convergence Guidelines issued with
– ICAR – MoEF – MoWR – PMGSY – SGSY – DoLR
– Agriculture
– 115 Pilot districts in 23 States have been identified by MoEF, MoWR and ICAR for pilot projects.
– Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal initiated convergence plan in Pilot districts.
Convergence for augmenting productivity &
Convergence for augmenting productivity &
sustainable development sustainable development
NREGA: Reducing Vulnerabilities NREGA: Reducing Vulnerabilities
• Resilience is in-built in NREGA activities as they lead to
– Food security
– Livelihood security – Water security
– Ecological Security – Flood risk reduction
• Focus on rural communities and resource base
• NREGA Works are likely to improve resilience and
adaptive capacity of the production systems, farmers and communities
• NREGA programs need to be assessed for their ability to build resilience, reduce vulnerability of production
systems and communities
Water pond for orchards , Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir
Construction of Pond, Chhattisgarh
Earthen Dam, Jharkhand
• Vill:Pindrabad
• Est cost: 1,30,000.00
Earthen Dam, Jharkhand
After restoration
Water Conservation Tank, Andhra Pradesh
