NABARD Appoints Ambuja Cement Foundation to Execute a Watershed Development Project in Mandi District of HP

Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) collaborates with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to implement Watershed Development projects in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi District. Because of ACF's previous success in the field of Watershed Development in Solan under CSR mode, where ACF is currently implementing 9 watershed projects, NABARD has now chosen the Foundation to assist farmers in the Mandi region in improving their production and livelihood.

With an objective to promote agriculture and rural welfare, NABARD has constituted a fund called the Watershed Development Fund (WDF) for promoting innovative and feasible concepts and for the transfer of technology for enhancing production and productivity in farming and allied sectors. The governing body has also issued operational guidelines for providing funds from WDF to ACF.

Talking about the long association with NABARD, Pearl Tiwari, Director & CEO of ACF, said, “Ambuja Cement Foundation has a long-standing relationship with NABARD and we have been working together on Watershed Development in Himachal Pradesh for the last 14 years. With this new project, we are once again working to empower farmers of another district in the hilly region enabling them to improve production and income.”

Officer–in–Charge/General Manager, NABARD, HPRO, Shimla adds, “Watershed Development has been a major issue in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and we are looking at reaching as many farmers as possible. To have implementation partners, like Ambuja Cement Foundation who are so established and committed in their work, makes it much easier for us to expand such projects. Watershed of NABARD basically intend to empower village communities & promote rainfed/natural farming ecosystems,”

Rajwadi Sethal Watershed falls in the Dhanotu (earlier in Balh) Development Block of Mandi District where the average annual rainfall is 1503 mm - often causing soil erosion and failure of crops. The farmers in the Mandi district face severe problems like the uncertainty of the weather, frequent crop damage, lack of irrigation facilities, high slopes, terrace farming, forest fires, hail storms, and pest attacks. ACF has already implemented a capacity-building phase and has organized soil and water conservation sensitization and awareness activities.

Recently, ACF was awarded as the Best Implementation Agency by NABARD for its work in Watershed Development. Along with NABARD, ACF has already carried out 11 other watershed development initiatives in the state of Himachal Pradesh.