A total 20 officers of Directorate of Soil Conservation & Watershed Development, Government of Odisha participated in capacity building programme under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) at ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management (ICAR-IIWM), Bhubaneswar during 3-6 October 2016. The four-day long training programme was aimed at judicious planning, management and utilization of available water resources in watersheds for assured water availability for irrigation so as to increase irrigated area and water productivity. The programme was inaugurated by Dr. P.K. Mishra, Director, ICAR-IISWCRTI, Deheradun in the presence of Shri Hemanta Kumar Panda, Director (Technical), Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development (GoO) and Dr. S.K. Ambast, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar on 3rd October 2016. Dr. P.K.Mishra gave an outline of PMKSY programme and role of IWM in ensuring the fulfillment of target on irrigation potential creation. In his speech, Shri Panda emphasized that water resources are to be created in watersheds for which proper planning is required and it is to be implemented in the field so that more area can be brought under irrigation leading to higher productivity and production. Dr. S.K.Ambast, Director, of ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar welcomed the participants and assured for enriching the knowledge of the PIAs on the detailed design, planning and development of various water harvesting structures including application of modern tools and techniques for characterization of watersheds and water saving techniques including micro-irrigation. He also elaborated on the expectations of PMKSY from the PIAs.

During the training programme, resource persons from Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun; Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar; Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Bhubaneswar; Odisha Space Application Center (ORSAC), Bhubaneswar; ICAR-Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-CHES), Bhubaneswar; Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar; and Directorate of Soil Conservation & Watershed Development, Govt. of Odisha were involved in sensitizing the PIAs along with the scientists of ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar. Prominent topics such as Integrated watershed management with specific reference to PMKSY; Design aspects of various water harvesting structures; application of micro-irrigation system; Hydrogeology and ground water development; Ground water recharge options; Remote sensing aided watershed mapping and characterization; Horticultural and aquacultural interventions; and Economic evaluation of watershed management programmes were covered in detail. On 5th October 2016, a field visit was arranged to Biswanahakani watershed, Cuttack, which is a saturated model watershed under field exposure of the PIAs. Shri H.K.Panda, Director (Technical), Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development (GoO) graced the valedictory function as Chief Guest and distributed Certificates of Participation on 6th October 2016. The training program was coordinated by Dr. Prabhakar Nanda, Principal Scientist as the Corse Coordinator and Dr. S.K. Ambast, Director of the institute was the Course Director.