Meghalaya links farm income to water security, releases ₹28.60 crore to 1.14 lakh households in Tura

Guwahati: With a view to strengthening rural livelihoods through direct household-level income support while safeguarding the natural resources that sustain them, the Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) held the Integrated Partners’ Support and Engagement Programme at the Matchakolgre LP School Playground in New Tura, in the presence of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, senior officials, community representatives and beneficiaries.

The programme marked the release of Rs 28.60 crore under FOCUS+ to 1,14,400 beneficiaries, including 9,070 newly added households, while also highlighting community-led conservation under MegARISE, particularly the 39,714-hectare Ganol catchment that underpins Tura’s water security. The State’s approach brings together two complementary interventions: FOCUS+ strengthens the income of the farming household, while MegARISE protects the water, soil and forest resources on which that income depends.

Sangma Chief Minister highlighted the Rs 344-crore MegARISE project, stating that it focuses on conserving the Ganol and Umiew catchments while creating alternative livelihood opportunities for communities dependent on these areas. He added, “Today is therefore a historic day. Since the Act was passed in 1990, this is an important step towards putting its principles into action and strengthening the protection and preservation of our catchment areas through the involvement of our traditional institutions.”


On FOCUS+, Chief Minister said new beneficiaries would be registered every three months, with an aim to reach 2,50,000 to 3,00,000 households. He added, “But development is not only about infrastructure. We also need to create opportunities for our people at an individual level. For our farmers, we have FOCUS+. For our students, we have scholarships. For our Self-Help Groups, we have programmes through MSRLS.”

Hon’ble Chief Minister also stressed the need for continued partnership with traditional institutions, saying they have always played an important role in community life and that the Government remains committed to working with traditional heads towards the development of the State.

Rs 28.60 crore released to 1.14 lakh farming households.

Sangma released Rs 8.60 crore under FOCUS+ to 1,14,400 farming households across Meghalaya, including 9,070 newly added beneficiaries. Each eligible household receives an annual untied support of Rs 5,000 in two instalments of Rs 2,500 each through Direct Benefit Transfer, for farming and other production-related needs.

Of the 9,070 new beneficiaries, 7,074 (78 per cent) are from Garo Hills, which accounts for 87,959 or 76.9 per cent of the State’s total FOCUS+ beneficiaries. West Garo Hills has the highest district-level coverage with 37,330 beneficiaries, while the latest expansion has also brought 2,264 households in Demdema and 513 households in the Tura Municipal Board area under the programme.

First-of-its-kind in India: Communities take first step towards protected catchments

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Government of Meghalaya, represented by MegARISE and the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA), signed an MoU with the Pomlakrai Umiew Catchment and Durakalagre Ganol Catchment as the first step towards declaring the catchment areas protected under the Meghalaya Protection Act, 1990.

Communities of Pomlakrai Umiew village in Umiew Catchment and Durakalagre village in Ganol Catchment have voluntarily come forward, in partnership with the Government of Meghalaya, to initiate protected catchment declarations under the Meghalaya Protection Act, 1990, alongside plans for community-led ecotourism under MegARISE. The initiative potentially serves as a reference for other states considering similar environmental protection measures.

Notably, MegARISE, a ₹344.4-crore project funded by KfW and the Government of Meghalaya, is protecting the Ganol and Umiew catchments covering 52,198 hectares across 226 villages and nine blocks. The catchment is also critical to Tura’s future growth, with the ₹398-crore Greater Tura Water Supply Scheme drawing on the Ganol catchment, linking its protection directly to the city’s long-term water security.

Arbinstone B. Marak, MLA, 48-Selsella Assembly Constituency, thanked Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma and other dignitaries, and said FOCUS+ and MegARISE demonstrated the State’s focus on strengthening livelihoods while protecting vital water and forest resources. He also highlighted the AGEY vehicles being provided to Producer Groups to support transportation of produce and livelihoods. He added, “For nearly 70 years under the GHADC, we had not seen many bills or amendments being introduced. But today, under the leadership of our Chief Minister, several bills and reforms have been passed and introduced in the GHADC.”

Sampath Kumar,Chief Project Director, MegARISE and Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, said the State, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Conrad K. Sangma, is implementing a KfW-supported conservation initiative to protect the vulnerable Umiew and Ganol catchments and strengthen long-term water security for Shillong and Tura. He said the programme places local communities at the centre of catchment conservation, while supporting farmers through FOCUS and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Sengrak Ch. Marak, Secretary, Kangpra Producer Group, shared how FOCUS+ support had strengthened his group’s livelihoods. He said the group used ₹60,000 to purchase ginger, while the Rs 5,000 individual support enabled him to start squash cultivation and sell the produce in the market. The group also invested FOCUS+ funds in pig rearing, with plans to sell the pigs in December. He thanked Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma for the support.