An advanced capacity building program on "Improving Water Productivity in Rainfed Agriculture" was conducted during 18th to 22nd December 2017 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar for field level officers of the Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, Govt. of Odisha under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). In total 21 ASCOs from 15 districts of Odisha participated as in the training program. In inauguration, Dr. S. K. Ambast, Course Director & Director, ICAR-IIWM briefed about the training programme and also stressed on importance of improving the water productivity in rainfed areas. He delivered his lecture with elaborate discussion on irrigation efficiency and water productivity, and different options for improving water productivity in rainfed agriculture. The training programme covered different aspects of improving water productivity in rainfed areas like climate resilient agriculture, crop diversification in rice-fallows, agronomic interventions in watersheds, organic and integrated farming systems, improving water productivity in paddy fields, role of women in agriculture, application of decision support system in agriculture, design of micro-irrigation systems, farm mechanisation and use of renewable energy in agriculture. The institute success stories in the field of rainwater management, the impact evaluation and livelihood improvement were also discussed during the course of the training.

During the training programme, resource persons from ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun; ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram; ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar; and Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar were involved in sensitizing the trainees. 'Waterman of India' Dr. Rajendra Singh visited the institute during the period and shared his experience and success story on community mobilisation and water resources creation in the arid regions of Rajasthan with the trainees. The address was applauded immensely by the trainees. Adequate importance was given to the field visits during the training program. One full day exposure visit was arranged to farmers field at Dhenkanal, where trainees were exposed to integrated farming systems, rubber dam, artificial groundwater recharge structure, two-stage rainwater conservation technique, crop diversification and enhanced water productivity using drip irrigation. Another two half day field visits were also arranged, one to Central Horticultural Experimental Station, Bhubaneswar and the other to interventions in waterlogged areas at Alisha village in Puri district.

The training was concluded on 22nd December 2017, in which Commissioner-cum-Director, Directorate of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development, Mrs Sujatha Karthikeyan graced the occasion as Chief Guest, and Dr. P. K. Mishra, Director, ICAR-IISWC graced the occasion as Guest of Honour. The concluding session was chaired Dr. S. K. Ambast, Director of the institute. Chief Guest applauded the role of Indian Institute of Water Management in imparting quality training in the field of watershed management. The meeting concluded with the feedback from trainees and distribution of certificates. Dr. S. Mohanty, Principal Scientist and Dr. P. Panigrahi, Senior Scientist of the institute coordinated the training programme.