Meghalaya releases Rs 28.6 crore to 1.14 lakh farming households, links catchment protection to Tura’s water security

The Meghalaya government on September 22 released Rs 28.60 crore in financial assistance to 1,14,400 farming households under FOCUS+, while taking steps to protect the catchments that supply water to the state’s growing urban centres.

The announcement was made at an Integrated Partners’ Support and Engagement Programme in Tura, where Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also witnessed the signing of an MoU involving communities in the Pomlakrai Umiew and Durakalagre Ganol catchments.

The latest FOCUS+ disbursement includes 9,070 newly enrolled households. Under the scheme, eligible farming households receive Rs 5,000 annually in two instalments through direct benefit transfer, which can be used for farming and other production-related activities.

Garo Hills accounts for the bulk of the new enrolments, with 7,074 of the 9,070 households coming from the region. The area now accounts for 87,959 FOCUS+ beneficiaries, or 76.9 per cent of the scheme's total coverage.

West Garo Hills has the highest district-level coverage with 37,330 beneficiaries. The latest expansion has also brought 2,264 households in Demdema and 513 households in the Tura Municipal Board area into the programme.

The government said the expansion of FOCUS+ would continue, with new beneficiaries to be enrolled every three months. The stated target is to eventually cover between 2.5 lakh and 3 lakh households.

The Tura event also put the spotlight on the state's Rs 344.4-crore MegARISE project, which is focused on protecting the Ganol and Umiew catchments and supporting alternative livelihoods for communities dependent on these areas.

A key development was the signing of an MoU with communities from Pomlakrai Umiew and Durakalagre Ganol as the first step towards seeking protected catchment status under the Meghalaya Protection Act, 1990.

The communities have voluntarily initiated the process in partnership with the government, with plans also being developed for community-led ecotourism.

The Ganol and Umiew catchments together cover 52,198 hectares across 226 villages and nine blocks under MegARISE. The Ganol catchment is particularly significant for Tura, as the city's Rs 398-crore Greater Tura Water Supply Scheme draws on the catchment.

The government said the initiative is intended to connect livelihood support with conservation, with FOCUS+ providing direct assistance to farming households while MegARISE focuses on protecting the land, forests and water sources that underpin those livelihoods.

Speaking at the event, Sangma said the government was seeking to involve traditional institutions and local communities more closely in catchment protection.

He also said development programmes needed to extend beyond infrastructure to provide direct opportunities to farmers, students and self-help groups.

The programme also saw the flagging off of AGEY vehicles for self-help groups under the Meghalaya State Rural Livelihoods Society. The vehicles are intended to help producer groups transport agricultural produce and improve access to markets.

MegARISE is being funded jointly by KfW and the Meghalaya government. According to the state, the project is aimed at strengthening long-term water security for Shillong and Tura while supporting sustainable livelihoods in the catchment areas.