Water & soil conserved
Key interventions reduced rainwater runoff, increased water levels in wells, recharged groundwater and curbed topsoil erosion across project areas.
Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP)
A centrally sponsored scheme delivered by Coodu Trust with District Rural Development Agencies across five drought-prone districts of Tamil Nadu — Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Sivagangai, Karur and Salem.
24
Watersheds established
5
Districts covered
1,234
User groups formed
510+
SHGs formed
The project
What this project set out to do
Project mission
A foundational initiative to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and prevent desertification through integrated watershed management, resource conservation and ecological restoration.
The Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by Coodu Trust between 2001 and 2004 — one of the organisation’s foundational initiatives. Coodu Trust acted as a key coordinating agency in collaboration with the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) of the state government, working in some of Tamil Nadu’s most vulnerable regions: Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Sivagangai, Karur and Salem.
The verified 2001–2002 initial phase established 24 watersheds, each anchored by grassroots institutions — 24 Watershed Associations and 24 Watershed Committees, backed by over 1,234 user groups and 510 Self-Help Groups formed in Dindigul, Tirunelveli and Sivagangai districts. The complete programme across all phases (2001–2004) covered 105 watersheds in 6 districts of Tamil Nadu.
Alongside conservation works, the project kept a strong focus on monitoring and learning — Coodu Trust undertook mid-term evaluations and impact studies for DPAP projects in Dindigul, Karur, Salem and Sivagangai.
- Community governance
- Water & soil conservation
- Capacity building
- Research & evaluation
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Rain lost as runoff from degraded lands
In drought-prone districts, scarce rainfall runs off rainfed and degraded lands — carrying topsoil with it and leaving wells and aquifers unreplenished.
Our response
Structures that hold water where it falls
Low-cost farm ponds, nullah bunds, check dams and percolation tanks reduced rainwater runoff, increased water levels in wells, recharged groundwater and curbed topsoil erosion.
The challenge
No local institutions to own the resources
Without community structures to plan and manage shared land and water, conservation works risk falling into disuse once a project ends.
Our response
A three-tiered community governance structure
24 Watershed Associations, 24 Watershed Committees, over 1,234 user groups and 510+ SHGs ensured every development activity was planned and executed with direct community involvement.
At a glance
The essentials
- Scheme
- DPAPDrought Prone Area Programme — centrally sponsored
- Period
- 2001–2004Verified statistics from the 2001–2002 initial phase
- Coverage
- 5 districtsDindigul, Tirunelveli, Sivagangai, Karur & Salem — blocks including Natham, Athoor, Kodaikanal, Kuruvikulam, Kallal, Devakottai & Singampunari
- Scale
- 24 watershedsComplete programme across all phases covered 105 watersheds in 6 districts
- Implementing partners
- DRDAsCoodu Trust as lead agency with District Rural Development Agencies of the state government
- Status
- Successfully completedA foundational project in the watershed portfolio
Outcomes
What the project changed
Community ownership
Watershed Associations, Committees and user groups empowered communities to own their resources — every activity planned and executed with direct local involvement.
Degraded lands made productive
Integrated watershed management conserved natural resources, restored ecological balance and improved the productive potential of rainfed and degraded lands.
Get involved
Support drought-resilient communities
Join us in implementing watershed projects that mitigate drought, restore degraded lands and build community institutions that last across Tamil Nadu.