Land degradation, subsistence farming with poor crop harvests and lack of employment opportunities has resulted in poverty in eastern ghats of Orissa. To avert the situation, IWDP and TDET watershed projects were implemented in Kokriguda watershed which represents the resource position of this tribal region, during 1997 to 2003.

Analysis of water balance for Upper Kolab catchment was done according to Thornthwaite book keeping technique for six stations located within the catchment and for the entire catchment for the normal climatic year. On annual basis the catchment has a water need, rainfall, actual evapotranspiration, water surplus and water deficit of 1703.7 mm, 1479.82 mm, 1003.13 mm, 476.69 mm and 700.56 mm respectively. There is a water surplus from July to October and water deficit from November to May. The surplus months of June and part of July contribute to recharge the soil moisture deficit.