GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

(FOREST DEPARTMENT)

Rc.No.17309/2000/PMU.I/3	Office of the Principal Chief Conservator
Date: 18. 09.2002	of Forests – Andhra Pradesh – Hyderabad

SRI S.K. DAS, I.F.S.,

PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS

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CIRCULAR No.5-A/2002/PMU-I/3

Sub: NEERU-MEERU Works – Water shed treatment of area – Saturation

Level treatment – Andhra Pradesh Community Forest Management –

Community Participation in Management of Forests – Integration of

Programmes – Creation of durable assets capable of generating

Income and employment -Certain guidelines – Issued – certain additions & correction – Regarding.

Ref: Circular No.5/2002/PMU-I/3, communicated vide Prl.CCF’s ref.no.

17309/2000/PMU-I/3, dated 23.8.2002.

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Detailed guidelines have been issued vide Circular cited above to integrate the Neeru-Meeru programme and the community participation in management of forests with a view to creating durable assets for generating income and employment to the local community.

In this regard attention is invited to para – 5 of the circular cited wherein “Sunken Gully Pits” have been described. Due to an error the caption has been given as “Sunken Gully Pits” , but it should be correctly read as “Construction of Mini Percolation Tank with Trench”.

In this regard it should be noted further that before putting the dug out soil from trench at a distance of 0.5 m (berm) from the trench in a trapezoidal shape, a layer of soil to a depth of 15 cm may be scrapped and kept in a separate heap as described in para – 4 (4) in page 2 of the above Circular.

The advantages of having a trench are as follows:-

(1) Increased capacity of the percolation tank

(2) Utilization of Earthen Bund for raising plants which would eventually become a vegetative barriers.

5-A - Sunken Gully Pits:

The present method of constructing rough stone rock fill dams in the gullies, is serving a limited purpose only in the first few years. A better method is to provide sunken pits in gullies which serves the twin purpose of erosion control in gullies as well as increasing the recharge.

Such pits have to be excavated in the first order and second order streams. Wherever such pits are excavated, it is found that there is a good base flow in the streams down below and soil erosion in the gullies is reduced to a minimum on account of storages created within the gully. The velocity of flow within the gully is also reduced.

The length of the pit at the bed level can be about 4 meters and the clear distance from one pit to another pit can also be a 4 meters. The width of the pit can be about 2 meters and the excavated soil is to be put on either side of the gully leaving a berm of minimum 30 cms.

A silt trap may be introduced after every three pits. Revetment should also be provided at the entry side of the pit to prevent scours. Also a small rough stone apron should be provided in the bed of pit to withstand the falling flow of water. Detailed digramatic sketch as given by Sri Hanumantha Rao, Chairman of the Technical Committee of Water Conservation Mission is enclosed for easy understanding and proper implementation.

Both the above structures are useful. However, the mini percolation tank with trench has the advantage of creating a vegetative barrier in future with useful plants.

(S.K. DAS)

PRINCIPAL CHIEF CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS

To

All the Conservators of Forests (Territorial & Wildlife)

All the Divisional Forest Officers (Territorial & Wildlife) / Copy to all Range Officers through their Divisional Forest Officers

Copy to all the Additional Principal Chief Conservators of Forests / Chief Conservators of Forests in Prl.CCF’s office

Copy to Circular Stock File.