Hyderabad: The Ministry of Rural Development’s Department of Land Resources, along with the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), is organizing a two-day event on effectively using social media for documenting best practices in watershed programs. This event takes place at NIRDPR’s Hyderabad campus on September 23-24, 2025.
Prof. DVR Murthy, Vice Chancellor of Andhra Kesari University in Andhra Pradesh, opened the workshop. He emphasized community involvement in managing and owning watershed program assets.
The program, part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSKY 2.0), primarily aims to alleviate poverty and generate various livelihoods. Communication strategies will vary throughout the different phases of these programs.
Effective communication tailored to audience needs and leveraging social media benefits is crucial. This workshop aims to impart creative and technical skills for using social media effectively.
NIRDPR faculty members, including Dr. Suresh Babu, Dr. Krishna Lohi Das, and Dr. Vanishree Joseph, participated in the opening session.
Launched in 2021, WDC-PMKSY 2.0 targets sustainable management of natural resources in rainfed and degraded areas, with a goal of covering nearly 50 lakh hectares by 2026. It enhances water availability, improves soil health, and fosters sustainable rural livelihoods.
The writeshop seeks to connect field innovations with effective communication. Many community-driven watershed solutions remain localized and undocumented. By training professionals and organizations to document and share these stories, the program aims to expand recognition and replication of successful models.
Over the two days, participants will learn how to use social media and digital storytelling to highlight grassroots innovations. They will also collaborate to create a training module on documentation and social media for watershed projects. This module will guide field staff, NGOs, and experts in documenting case studies, creating visual stories, and running impactful social media campaigns.
By the end of the workshop, a draft five-day training curriculum will be developed, incorporating theoretical knowledge, demonstrations, and practical exercises. Participants will also prepare templates for case studies, photo stories, and videos, along with a toolkit of digital and AI tools for watershed documentation. A model social media campaign focused on watershed themes will also be designed.
The event gathers diverse participants, including officials from rural development, agriculture, and soil and water conservation departments, watershed committee representatives, NGOs, and social media experts.
Dr. Akanksha Shukla, Associate Professor at NIRDPR, coordinates the event. She highlights the importance of documenting grassroots efforts not only for recording achievements but also for motivating communities, enhancing transparency, and influencing policy through storytelling.
By using modern communication tools to highlight grassroots evidence, the workshop aims to transform how watershed programs are documented and presented, leading to stronger policies, wider practice adoption, and more resilient rural communities.
