Desert Development Programme – DDP

• Launched – 1977-78
• Ministry:Ministry of Rural Development 
• Started in hot desert areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat & Haryana and cold desert of Jammu&Kashmir& Himachal Pradesh.
• 1995-96 the coverage was extended to few more districts of Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka.
• Objective – To mitigate adverse effects of desertification on crops, human &livestock population.
• Restore ecological balance by harmonizing, conserving & developing natural resources.
• To implement development works through water shed approach, for land development, water resource development & afforestation.

Funding pattern

Drought Prone Area Programme – DPAP

• Launched – 1973-74
• Ministry:Ministry of Rural Development 
• Funding – Initially cost sharing 50:50 between centre & state till March 1999.
• From 1 April 1999, funding shared 75:25 basis between Centre &State.
• Objective – Minimise adverse effects of drought on production of crops, livestock & productivity of land, water & human resources.
• Promoting overall economic development & improving socio-economic condition of resource poor.

Integrated Wastelands Development Programme – IWDP

• Funding – Centrally sponsored programme.
• Ministry/Department-Agriculture Department
• Launched – 1989-90
• From April 1995, programme is implemented through water shed approach under common guidelines for water shed development.
• Objectives – Developing wastelands / degraded lands on watershed basis
• Promoting the overall economic development & improving socio-economic condition of resource poor & disadvantaged section
• Restoring ecological balance by harvesting, conserving & developing natural resources – land, water & vegetative cover.
• Employment generation, poverty alleviation, community empowerment & development of human resource

Rainfed areas

• Rainfed areas assume special significance in terms of ecology, agricultural productivity and livelihood for millions of rural households inIndia. These areas not only constituteabout three-fourth of the land massunder arid, semi-arid, and dry-humidzones, but also account for nearly 57per cent of the agricultural land spread across  large parts of   the country.

Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP)

• The RADP will be implemented as asub-scheme of Rashtriya Krishi VikasYojana (RKVY).
• State Agriculture Department, the nodal agency for implementation of RKVY, will also be implementingRADP

The broad objectives are:

•  Increasing agricultural productivity of rainfed areas in a sustainable manner by   adopting   appropriate   farming system based approaches.
•  To minimize the adverse impact ofpossible crop failure due to drought, flood or un-even rainfall distribution through diversified and compositefarming systems.
• Restoration of confidence in rainfed agriculture by creating sustainedemployment opportunities throughimproved on-farm technologies andcultivation practices.
• Enhancement of farmers' income and livelihood support for reduction ofpoverty in rainfed areas.
• Convergence of relevant developmental programmes in project areas for optimal utilization of resources by establishing anintegrated and coordinated system involving different sectors andinstitutions.

The major strategies

• Farmer -centric approach focusing mainly on small and marginal farmers, for promoting   the concept of a diversified farming system.
• Adoption of a cluster approach in a village or an area of not less than 25 Ha would be   preferred   for   injecting investments to utilize the potential of available/created common resources.