Context: Satellite-based diagnostic evaluating whether watershed interventions produce a measurable dry-season surface moisture advantage over untreated neighbouring land.
Approach: A local control-ring design — treated points inside each intervention polygon compared against a surrounding untreated ring, with the difference referenced to a pre-intervention baseline. Applied across two successive dry seasons.
What was found: Roughly half the watersheds showed either a persistent or emerging positive dry-season moisture signal. A subset held the advantage consistently across both years; others showed it emerging or weakening. The analysis identifies which watersheds are strongest candidates for detailed field follow-up.
A companion assessment examined pre-monsoon surface moisture behaviour in a single taluk during a drought year, showing that one long-treated watershed retained its moisture advantage while untreated neighbours declined.
Status: Internal diagnostic report (May 2026); IISc Civil Engineering, Bengaluru.