On December 8, officials in New Delhi announced the launch of State‑Level Watershed Mahotsav 2025 and Mission Watershed PUNARUTTHAN at Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima. The initiative intends to rejuvenate traditional water bodies, rehabilitate damaged lands, and strengthen rainwater‑harvesting infrastructure, an official said.
The mission’s goal is to secure livelihoods through community involvement and by dovetailing with programmes such as MGNREGA, the Ministry of Rural Development noted.
Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of Rural Development and Communications, opened the ceremony and declared, “water security is national security,” adding that a secure future belongs to those who care for their natural foundations.
“Nagaland, with its rich ecological and cultural heritage, stands at the forefront of community‑led watershed management. The restoration of springs, renovation of water harvesting structures, and rejuvenation of land resources here is not just an environmental effort — it is a lifeline for future generations,” the minister emphasized.
Under the PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and related watershed projects in Nagaland, 14 initiatives have received approval, Rs 140 crore has been sanctioned (with Rs 80 crore already released), 555 water‑harvesting structures have been refurbished, more than 6,500 farmers have benefited, and 120 springs have been revived, the statement added.
The program marks a significant step toward turning water‑stressed areas into water‑secure, climate‑resilient landscapes, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision that places the North Eastern States at the heart of India’s development trajectory, the release said.
Chandra Sekhar also highlighted that the North Eastern States receive 90 % of central assistance compared to the usual 60:40 Centre‑State split.
He stressed that India holds only 4 % of the world’s renewable freshwater resources yet supports 18 % of the global population.
With current per‑capita water availability already below the water‑stress threshold, initiatives like PMKSY and watershed programmes have demonstrated transformative results by boosting farmers’ incomes, raising groundwater levels, and enabling multiple cropping cycles, the statement concluded.
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