Impressed by its overwhelming success in a turn-key pilot project for the development of an Integrated Information System for Watershed Projects (IISWP) covering five divisions and 27 sub-divisions in Maharashtra, the Government of Maharashtra has entrusted NIC with the responsibility of developing and implementing similar information systems in 70 locations of the State during 1997-98. The project envisages computerization of watersheds from the sub-division level. It is however so planned that the databases created at the sub-divisions satisfy the basic information requirements at the divisional, regional and state levels also.
Senior Officers of the Maharashtra Government undergoing training on use of computers in Watershed Planning.
The watershed play an important role as the unit of economic development of any area. Its management is however rather complex as it involves multifarious activities. Reports of projects for economic development, giving details of activities, cost estimates, time schedules and estimated benefits; are prepared based on parameters such as the geographical features, social conditions, rainfall and manpower availability of the watershed in which the project is implemented. More than 14,000 watershed projects, funded by different sources, are being implemented in the State of Maharashtra. Add to that the fact that it takes considerable time to complete the total development of each watershed, and the significant role that a computerized integrated information system can play in such a situation hardly needs any further substantiation. In the pilot project which NIC completed successfully in 1995-96, computerization of each site covered preparation of water estimates, presentation of statistical reports, office automation, payroll processing, etc. The package generates an exhaustive database consistent with all voucher-level information. Staff members from each site were also trained intensively on use of the IISWP package. Going by its performance in the pilot project, NIC is all set to usher in a new era of development by developing and implementing a holistic integrated information system covering all the watershed projects in Maharashtra, and, in the future, also in other parts of the Country.
Salient Features of IISWP Pilot Project
The IISWP package for the pilot project was developed in Foxpro under Windows. It is utilized for :
● Initial preparation of watershed database using backlog data. ● Maintenance of watershed database using voucher-level documents on budget expenditure according to different heads and on technical work measurement information. ● Cross-checking the expenditure on different works. ● Creation of works database, interlinked with funds sanction and expenditure. ● Monitoring of watersheds implementation, based on budget allocated and targets fixed. ● Making queries for information. ● Generating reports for maintenance of registers, day-to-day management and decision support.