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Soil and Water Conservation Activities in Rained Areas of Punjab
Objectives
The Directorate of Soil Conservation is engaged to tackle the problem of soil erosion for the last four decades and has the jurisdiction in the rainfed areas of Punjab extending from the Districts of Narowal to Districts of D.G.Khan and Rajanpur. The main objectives of Soil Conservation Directorate are as under:
To contain soil erosion process in the cultivable areas and the adjoining un-cultivated lands and to save these areas from further degradation through adoption of sustainable soil conservation programme on catchment/ sub-catchment basis.
To make maximum use of run off water by conserving it into the field by various moisture conservation measures.
To bring more area under cultivation through reclamation and gully control techniques.
Exploitation of water resources through various means of providing assured water supply for irrigation purposes. (mini Dams and Ponds).
Activities
To achieve the objectives, the following Soil and Water Conservation activities are carried out.
Treatment of cultivated land: The cultivated arable land is the most valuable asset in the catchment areas. These lands are situated at the foot of the hills and are largely sloping. They however have been damaged very severely by sheet and gully erosion. Their treatment consists in the construction of new terraces, improvement of the existing terraces strengthening of embankments, construction of water disposal outlets, chiseling and deep ploughing, introduction of cover crops, contour ploughing, conservation oriented tillage and planting practices, and introduction of high yielding varieties of crops. Detailed designs are prepared after studying the condition of each individual field in each catchment. The machinery and equipment needed for the above listed operations are supplied by the Government to the farmers at subsidized rates.
Treatment of eroded gullied land: The gullies are situated at the lower end of watershed and they conduct the bulk of the rain water coming from above. This is a continuous process and keeps the gullies cating back into the arable lands. The eating back process is so fast that some of the lands which were shown as cultivated fields during the settlement of 1905 did not exist at all during the settlement carried out in 1955. It is, therefore, imperative that the growth of gullies should be arrested as soon as possible. This is done by diverting the water from the water sheds and plugging the gullies. The gully plugging serves another may useful purpose of reclaiming valuable agricultural lands in the beds of gullies. These operations being expensive are carried out after detailed survey. Proper designs are prepared for the construction of check dams and spillways etc.
Range improvement, afforestation and check daming: The lands situated at higher elevations, in the hills and mountains and those having shallow soil or having badly cut up topography are suitable only for raising trees, shrubs and grasses for vegetation. Such lands are generally the communal lands, are overgrazed and denuded. These lands in fact are the source of excessive run off eroding lands, causing gullies, washing away embankments and structures and silting up water works finally resulting in serious soil destruction. To avert this catastrophe, such lands are planted with trees, grasses bushes etc and check dams are also provided to retard the run off and arrest the sediment load depending upon the nature of soil. The economical results from such lands accrue after rather long periods and the works being of protective nature. These areas after necessary treatment are protected and used for grazing.
Improvement/Development of Ponds: The collection of water into ponds is also an improvement measure in reducing run off intensity. The farmers are encouraged to set up small storages for the dual purpose of drinking water for livestock and local irrigation. The ponds and storage tanks are designed after proper survey and investigation.
Stream bank/Kas training: The hill torrents cause considerable damage through stream bank erosion particularly when they enter the arable lands or the plains. Apart from eroding the valuable agricultural lands, they also spread large quantities of sterile sand and debris on the adjoining agricultural fields. The stream bank erosion is controlled through the construction of water diversion spurs/walls and planting trees grasses along the banks where-ever necessary.
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