The Drought Prone Areas Programme and Desert Development Programme were launched in the 1970s to address problems faced by drought-prone and desert areas in India. The programs aimed to minimize adverse effects of drought/harsh climates on crop/livestock production and improve socio-economic conditions. They covered 961 blocks across 16 states and 235 blocks in 7 states respectively. Both programs were funded 75% by central government and 25% by states and implemented through district rural development agencies. While the programs had strengths like area-focused needs and infrastructure growth, weaknesses included poor implementation and lack of collaboration. Ongoing threats were corruption and political interference.

1. Drought Prone Areas
Programme
Rajinder Kaur Kalra
Professor and Head (Retired)
PAU Ludhiana
9814067709

2. • Drought Prone Areas Programme.
• Earliest area development programme.
• Launched by the Central Government in 1973-
74 to tackle the special problems faced by
those fragile areas which are constantly
affected by severe drought conditions.
DPAP
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3. • To minimize the adverse effects of drought on
the production of crops and livestock and
productivity of land, water and human
resources, thereby ultimately leading to the
drought proofing of the affected areas.
Objectives
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4. • Aims overall economic development and
improvement in the socio-economic condition of
the resource poor and disadvantaged sections
inhabiting the programme areas through
creation, widening and equitable distribution of
resource base.
• Increased employment opportunities.
Key Features
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5. • 961 blocks of 180 districts in 16 States.
• The States are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar , Gujarat,
Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa,
Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal,
Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
and West Bengal.
Coverage
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6. • Shared on 75:25 basis between the Centre
and State Government.
• An amount of Rs. 127.26 crores has already
been released under the programme upto
31.01.2001.
Funding
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7. • Implemented through the DRDAs/ ZPs at
district level.
source: (http://www.planningcommission.nic.in)
Implementing Agency
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8.  Started in 1977-78, both in the hot-desert areas of
Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana, and the cold-desert
areas of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
 From 1995-96, covers few districts of Andhra Pradesh
and Karnataka.
 Covered 235 blocks of 40 districts in the above 7
states.
DDP
Desert Development Programme
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9. • To mitigate the adverse effects of climatic
conditions and combat desertification.
• To restore ecological balance by harnessing,
conserving and developing natural resources.
• To implement developmental work through
the watershed approach, for land, water and
pasture development.
Objectives
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10. • The Centre and State governments share in
75:25 ratio.
Funding
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11. • Implemented through the DRDAs/ ZPs at
district level.
source: (http://www.planningcommission.nic.in)
Implementing Agency
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12. SWOT Analysis of the programmes-
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
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13.  The programmes are conceptualised, keeping in view the needs of
the people and overcome the problems associated with the
multiplicity of programmes.
 The area-based needs and abilities are focussed.
 Strengthening of infrastructure is prime objective.
 Grass-root level participation is emphasized.
 People’s participation in groups is an important consideration.
 Employment generation is the selected means of alleviating
poverty.
Strengths of the programmes
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14. • Poor implementation and diverted action.
• Poor system of audit.
• Top-bottom approach in the concept.
• Less collaboration with non-governmental
bodies.
• Poor infrastructure and build-up.
Weaknesses of the programmes
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15. • The programmes provides unlimited scope for development
of the poor.
• The huge share of funds can generate loads of industrial
infrastructure.
• There are ample opportunities in the sector of employment
and job creation.
• The programmes donot only aim to alleviate poverty, but
have many-fold secondary benefits – nutritional security,
literacy, development of basic infrastructure and overall
improvement.
Opportunities of the programmes
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16.  The biggest threat to the programmes is the corruption, prevailing
at every step of implementation.
 Biasness and favourism also put forth problems.
 Scattered poor populations also hinder the success of the
programmes.
 Irregular and poor efficiency of officials add to the threats further.
 Uncollaborated efforts at national level also reduce their
effectiveness.
Threats to the programmes
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17. • Prevailing systems of caste and other social taboos.
• Political interference is another important threats.
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18.  Despite of so many efforts and government schemes, the
statistical data shows that in absolute terms there is minute
decrease in the number of people living below the poverty
line in our country.
 The rating of our country in the global living indices has
shown a declining graph.
 People in the country are still unable to meet the daily food
requirements.
Conclusion
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19. • However, this should not be concluded that work
has not been done to combat the situation.
• A lion’s share in our annual budget goes to these
projects.
• Somehow, the results are not encouraging except
in a few cases. The masses are still unable to reap
the benefits.
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20. • Thus, may be we need to shift our view and focus
on the other side of the coin.
• Let our aim be to create wealth than to alleviate
poverty.
• We must keep moving towards the end, as this is
the biggest challenge, the country is facing.
• It needs persistent efforts and long gestation
periods, before we visualise, hunger free India.
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22. Thank you all!
Have a great week ahead!
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