The Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development has called for a fundamental shift in how India tackles dryland farming. Speaking at the Dryland Congress 2026 in New Delhi, the department’s top official stressed that drylands should be developed through modern institutions, digital tools and active participation by farming communities rather than through emergency responses to drought.
What the announcement covers
Rainfed agriculture—farming that depends on rainfall rather than irrigation—covers about 61.39 million hectares, which is 43 percent of India’s net sown area. Despite challenges from variable rainfall, these regions produce around 40 percent of the country’s food.
The Department of Land Resources has been implementing the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY) over the last 12 years. The results so far:
- 7,602 watershed development projects across roughly 34 million hectares
- Nearly 0.9 million water harvesting structures created or restored
- Protective irrigation provided to about 2 million hectares
- Around 6 million farmers benefited
- 67 million person-days of employment generated
- 0.3 million hectares brought under plantation
Completed projects have shown a benefit-to-cost ratio of about 2:1, with gains in groundwater levels, cultivated area, cropping intensity and farmer incomes. The department plans to launch a Watershed Portal as digital infrastructure to track projects from start to finish and monitor whether landscapes are actually becoming more resilient over time.
What this means for you
If you farm in dry regions or depend on rainfed agriculture, the government is moving toward longer-term landscape restoration rather than temporary drought relief. Better water harvesting, restored vegetation and improved groundwater mean more stable farming. Digital tracking systems will help ensure projects deliver real results. The emphasis on community ownership suggests that village-level groups will have greater say in how watershed projects are designed and run in their areas.