MoS Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar launched the State-Level Watershed Mahotsav 2025 in Kohima, calling for urgent action to turn rainfall into water security.
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Says India must turn “rainfall into resilience” to escape water stress
KOHIMA — Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar warned on Monday that the country’s future will depend on ‘how well we trap the monsoon.’
Launching the State-Level Watershed Mahotsav 2025 at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima, he said that India must urgently shift from a water-stressed to a water-secure nation because prosperity can no longer rise and fall with the rains.
According to him, India receives most of its annual rainfall between June and September, making it essential to capture, store and utilise “every drop.”
Citing alarming trends, he said that any country with per capita water availability below 1,700 cubic metres is considered water-stressed. India is already at 1,486 cubic metres and projected to fall to 1,367 by 2031, he cautioned.
With 60% of India still rural and only half its land cultivable—much of which is eroding—he said that the coming decades will demand systemic conservation. “We have 4% of the world’s renewable water but support 18% of its population. Without action, floods will worsen in wet months, droughts will sharpen in dry months and soil erosion will accelerate.”
Against this backdrop, he said that the Centre views water security as national security. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was designed as a national response to rising water stress.
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Sekhar claimed the programme delivered “a six-fold return,” with farmers’ incomes rising 70%, milk production up 40% and groundwater levels improving threefold in project areas.
Under PMKSY 2.0, he said, 1,200 projects worth INR 1,200 crore were completed nationwide.
The minister highlighted that the Northeast receives enhanced support, with a 90:10 Centre-state funding pattern—unlike the 60:40 ratio for other states—reflecting the government’s “special focus” on accelerating development in the region.
Commending Nagaland’s progress, he said that 14 watershed projects have been approved in the state with INR 140 crore sanctioned, of which INR 80 crore has already been released.
So far, 555 water-harvesting structures have been renovated, over 6,500 farmers benefitted and 120 vital springs restored—critical for hilly and tribal regions.
He stressed that much more can be achieved with coordinated Centre-State cooperation, assuring support in finance, technology and policy. He also highlighted the upcoming watershed initiative, Punarutthan, aimed at rejuvenating old water bodies and river systems, creating walking tracks around them and ensuring long-term sustainability.
The minister urged effective use of MGNREGA to reduce unemployment and promote convergence among departments, calling watershed development “the rebuilding of rural India’s ecological foundation” and a means to turn unpredictable rainfall into a reliable asset.
‘Heartbeat of Nagaland’
Sekhar described Hornbill Festival as the “heartbeat of Nagaland,” praising its ability to showcase unity amid cultural diversity.
Recalling his visit to Kisama, he said that the participation of all Naga tribes—each with distinct customs, languages and attire—reflected “unity without uniformity.” Every drumbeat and costume, he said, carried the memory, identity and history of the Naga people.
With many traditional practices gradually fading, he said that the festival plays a vital role in both preserving heritage and embracing modernity. Nagaland’s youth and music, now gaining global visibility, have also boosted the festival’s international profile, he added.
During the programme, Sekhar digitally launched new project works, inaugurated completed ones and flagged off Mission Watershed Punarutthan.
He also announced a social media competition to promote IEC outreach, with former Miss Nagaland and influencer Hikali Achumi as campaigner.
An overview of the Mahotsav was presented by Albert Ngullie, CEO, SLNA and Director, Land Resources. Watershed Committees of Wameken (Mokokchung), Chudi (Wokha) and Tsaphimi (Zunheboto) were awarded INR 20 lakh each as winners of the Watershed Jan Bhagidari Cup 2025.