Looking at the degraded and unproductive conditions of natural resources, the Government of Maharashtra has been pursuing solutions through creation of land and water based durable assets on a large scale. The State has created the State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) under the Soil and Water Conservation Dept. to implement mission water conservation in watershed mode. The major aim of these watershed projects is to improve surface irrigation, enhance recharge of ground water and ultimately to improve livelihoods of the rural population. Beside this, through MGNREGA, the State government has undertaken soil and water conservation work on a massive scale. In the past few years, the State has made steady strides towards improving implementation of MGNREGA and creation of land and water based durable assets in the villages on a large scale.

The office of the MGNREGA Commissioner, Planning Dept., GoMH proposes to follow watershed principles in the implementation of MGNREGA to undertake comprehensive treatment measures in a focused area that may lead to enhanced impact. This idea emanates from a reflection that earlier interventions (in MGNREGA), howsoever intensive, remained patchy. In respect to the broad contours of the project, it is felt that four critical areas need to be addressed for larger and deeper impact.

1. Proper net planning (hydrological and ridge to valley approach, applying GIS mapping)
2. Active participation of the community from inception to implementation
3. Capacity building of Gram Panchayats the main PIA under MGNREGA
4. Project implementation in the most deprived and resource poor geographies of the state

To demonstrate the visible and sustainable impact following the four critical areas already mentioned above, the Commissioner, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Government of Maharashtra, and the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF), a national-level autonomous body established by the MoRD, Government of India, formally entered in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on September 8, 2022. This agreement marks the commencement of the High Impact Mega Watershed project in Maharashtra.