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Abstract
Watershed programme is an important intervention in dryland areas to improve livestock productivity
through increased feed and fodder supply. The present study has focused on the impact of watershed
interventions on crop-livestock linkages with particular emphasis on how the interventions have affected
the quantity of stovers/straws as livestock feeding materials in bridging the demand-supply gap. The
study has been carried out in three typical Shivalik foothill watersheds (two treated and one untreated) in
the Panchkula district of Haryana state. The impact of watershed development programme has been
estimated by adopting both with and without approach and before and after approach. The untreated
watershed has derived 65 per cent of its total income from animal husbandry. On the contrary, this sector
has contributed 42 per cent and 20 per cent in two treated watersheds. The availability of supplemental
irrigation enabled the villagers to step up cropping intensity. The number of goats has reduced considerably
in both treated watersheds and the number of stall-fed buffaloes has increased. Adult cattle units per
household and per hectatre of cultivated area have been found to be highest in the untreated watershed.
Green and dry fodder availability, both from cultivated lands and forest area, has increased as a result of
implementation of watershed programme. Although the gap between requirement and availability has
narrowed down in both the treated watersheds, significant gains could be realized in Sambhalwa watershed
due to sufficient water availability to all the households. Bunga watershed has also shown effectiveness
of watershed development programme in reducing demand –supply gap of fodder. This gap, however,
widened after reaching the saturation point of watershed programme, i.e. after 22 years of its implementation.