Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) is a major centrally sponsored scheme in India designed to restore ecological balance and boost agricultural productivity in rainfed regions through watershed management.
Detailed Explanation:
- The program was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
- It was launched during the Seventh Five Year Plan in the year 1986-87 to promote sustainable development of rainfed agricultural land.
- The project was subsequently restructured and expanded during the Eighth Five Year Plan (specifically around 1990-91) to cover more regions with a unified participatory approach.
Step 2: Final Answer:
The National Watershed Development Programme for Rainfed Agriculture was started in 1986-87, matching Option (D).