Anil Kumar Sondhi

Chief Conservator of Soils, Punjab

Residence: # 1610B, Sector 38B, Chandigarh-160036.

Mobile: 09815364448.

Phone: Residence: 0172-2690495.

Email: anilkumarsondhi@gmail.com

Academic & Training

ü Graduated in B. Sc. (Agriculture) from Khalsa College, Amritsar in 1973.

ü Post-graduated in M. Sc. (Soil Science) from PAU, Ludhiana in 1992.

ü Obtained Post-graduate Diploma in Business Management from Punjabi University, Patiala.

ü Successfully completed Assistants' Training Course of 5½ months' duration (from 16-04-1984 to 30-09-1984) on Soil & Water Conservation at Central Soil & Water conservation Research & Training Institute, Kota.

ü Successfully completed a Training Programme in Soil Survey & Mapping of 4 months' duration (01-07-1987 to 31-10-1987) at National Bureau of Soil Survey & Land Use Mapping, Nagpur.

ü  Successfully completed Officers' Training Course of 5½ months' duration (from 08-10-2001 to 23-02-2002) on Soil & Water Conservation at Central Soil & Water conservation Research & Training Institute, Dehradun.

ü Attended a number of short-term training & refresher courses representing the department at Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mysore & other cities.

Professional

ü Joined the Department of Soil & Water Conservation, Punjab in 1976 as a Soil Conservation Officer.

ü Served at Prestigious Positions including Conservator of Soils (Headquarter), Conservator of Soils, Mohali and Director (Technical), State Land Use Board, Mohali.

ü Received Leadership Award, 2005 from the Soil Conservation Society of India.

ü Life Member, Soil Conservation Society of India.

ü Serving as President, Soil Conservation Society of India (Punjab Chapter).

ü Serving as Chief Conservator of Soils, Punjab since Oct. 2008.

Expertise of More than 30 years in:

v Watershed Management & Rainwater Harvesting programmes

v Surface water management and ground water recharge

v Innovative On-farm Water Management and Conservation techniques.

v Micro Irrigation Systems.

v Use of treated sullage water for irrigation.

v Preparation of Resource Atlas, Wasteland Mapping of Punjab and Land Use/ Land Cover Mapping of Punjab.

Outstanding Achievements:

Under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Innovative Community Projects started for providing life-saving canal irrigation water to the tail-end fields in South-western districts of Punjab suffering with brackish groundwater. Till date, an area of 10,000 hectares owed by 8000 farmers benefited through 200 Projects wherein 90% assistance provided to mainly Small/Marginal/SC farmers. Major benefits include Increase in yield / production and land value.

Ö     More than 100 Projects of Micro water resource development and small Rainwater Harvesting Structures for recharge and supplementary irrigation completed in the Northern sub-mountainous areas.

Ö     An innovative Budha Nallah Project started for proving treated sewage water for irrigation at a cost of Rs. 37.00 Crores. Part project complete. Similar projects got sanctioned for 12 towns costing Rs. 7.50 Crores recently.

Ö     More than Rs. 2.00 Crores got sanctioned and utilized for benefiting an area of 2000 hectares under various Integrated Wasteland Development (IWDP) Projects in various districts.

Ö     Soil & water conservation works worth approx. Rs. 1.00 Crore completed in Ropar & Kanjli wetlands.

Ö      4000 hectares of Agricultural land was leveled with Laser Levelers & Bulldozers.

Ö     Annual Outlay for soil & water conservation works was doubled from Rs. 20.00 Crores to more than Rs. 40.00 Crores after taking over as the Chief Conservator of Soils, Punjab.

Ö     6 new Projects with an outlay of Rs. 42.36 Crores got sanctioned from GOI for treating 35,302 hectares of wastelands under the new Integrated Watershed Management (IWMP) Programme.

Ö     Diversification to horticulture & vegetable crops kick-started in Punjab by promoting Micro Irrigation systems.

Ö     An Inter-state Workshop was organized for sensitizing the field officers regarding the new GOI guidelines of National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA).

Ö     A State level Seminar was organized on "Future Strategies for Conservation of Irrigation Water".

Ö     Integrated Projects for soil & water conservation works have been proposed to various GOI & state departments highlighting the deteriorating state of natural resources and the increased need to conserve the same.