Drought Prone Area Programme: (I) This programme was initiated during the Fourth Five Year Plan: (II) Objectives (i) Its objectives were to provide employment to the people in drought-prone areas and creating productive assets. (ii) It laid emphasis on the construction of labour-intensive civil works, later on, it emphasised on irrigation projects, and development programmes, afforestation grassland development and creation of basic rural infrastructure. (iii) Other strategies include adoption of integrated watershed development approach at micro level. (iv) The restoration of ecological balance between water, soil, plants and human and animal population should be a basic consideration in the strategy of development of drought-prone areas. (v) Irrigation Commission (1972) introduced the criterion of 30 per cent irrigated area and demarcated the drought-prone areas.