New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) The government launched the State‑Level Watershed Mahotsav 2025 and Mission Watershed PUNARUTTHAN at Naga Solidarity Park in Kohima, to revive traditional water bodies, restore degraded lands, and strengthen water‑harvesting systems, an official statement said on Monday.

The mission aims to achieve these objectives, ensuring sustainable livelihoods through community participation and convergence with schemes such as MGNREGA, the statement from the Ministry of Rural Development said.

Launching the mission MoS for Rural Development and Communications, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said “water security is national security”, adding that the future belongs to those who preserve 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 said.

Key achievements under PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and watershed development in Nagaland include 14 watershed projects approved, Rs 140 crore sanctioned, of which Rs 80 crore has been released, 555 water‑harvesting structures renovated, over 6,500 farmers benefitted, and 120 springs restored, the statement noted.

The program marks a major milestone in the government’s commitment to transforming water-stressed regions into water-secure, climate-resilient landscapes, in line with the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has consistently placed the North Eastern States at the centre of India’s development journey, the statement said.

Chandra Sekhar noted North Eastern States receive 90 per cent central assistance compared with the usual 60:40 Centre–State ratio, the statement added.

He emphasised that India holds only 4 per cent of the world’s renewable freshwater but hosts 18 per cent of the global population.

With current per capita water availability already below the water-stress benchmark, initiatives such as the PMKSY and watershed programmes have proven transformational — increasing farmers’ incomes, boosting groundwater levels, and enabling multiple crop cycles, the statement noted

–IANS

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