Western Ghats form the catchment of all the 44 rivers that sustain the agroeconomy of Kerala. A study was conducted to assess the effect of land use on runoff from small watersheds of Western Ghats. Three small mono-culture watersheds, planted with cashew, coffee, tea and one small watershed with dense forest were selected for the study.

Shoddy planning and poor execution mar many watershed revival projects

Government delivery programmes provide little support to farmers

Managing yields without pesticides

But it is better to take Andhra Pradesh as a challenge

"The strategy for agriculture will certainly create new jobs, especially in the allied sector. However, agriculture's share of employment will actually reduce, from the current 70 per cent to 40-45

SOPAN JOSHI travels through Andhra Pradesh, only to find that beyond the immediate crisis of state wide farmers suicide lies one decade of neglect. Of agriculture, which sustains 70 per cent of its people, actually rendered unproductive and life denying.

The growth of a women s group that moved from being a savings unit to a social voice

Other local associations can also manage watersheds effectively

Protect forests, get clean water

Pages