New irrigation techniques - PMKSY

Background

• Water resources development & management are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments (PT Pointer) themselves as per their own resources and priorities.
• In order to supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Government of India provides technical and financial assistance to State Governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resources through various schemes and programmes.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• PMKSY was launched during 2015-16 by the Central Government with the following components, Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP), Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) and Watershed Development (WD).
• PMKSY is strategize by focusing on end-to end solution in irrigation supply chain, viz. water sources, distribution network, efficient farm level applications, extension services on new technologies & information etc.
• Funding mechanism has been approved by the Government for providing Central and State Share under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF) through NABARD.
• PMKSY focuses on irrigation techniques by, among others,

1. Promoting efficient water conveyance and field application devices within the farm viz, underground piping system, Drip & Sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns and other application devices etc.;
2. Promotion of scientific moisture conservation and run off control measures to improve ground water recharge so as to create opportunities for farmer to access recharged water through shallow tube/dug wells,
3. Creation of new water sources;
4. repair, restoration and renovation of defunct water sources;
5. construction of water harvesting structures, secondary & micro storage, groundwater development, enhancing potentials of traditional water bodies at village level.
6. Use of Underground Pipelines (UGPL) in the Distribution Network of the projects has been actively promoted for increasing the water conveyance efficiency and overcoming the issues related to Land Acquisition, evaporative/ percolation losses etc.

• Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare is implementing Per Drop More Crop component of PMKSY.
• It mainly focuses on water use efficiency at farm level through precision/micro irrigation.
• Besides promoting precision irrigation (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation System) and better on-farm water management practices to optimize the use of available water resources, this component also supports micro level water storage or water conservation/management activities to supplement micro irrigation.

Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM)

• The HKKP- Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) program has been taken up with objectives of

1. utilize Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) under the project soon after its creation;
2. improve water use efficiency;
3. increase agricultural productivity & production; and
4. bring sustainability in the irrigated agriculture in a participatory environment.

• Under CADWM Scheme, States are also encouraged to use the underground pipeline network instead of conventional field channels.
• The implementation of Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) is also being promoted through CADWM.

Other Schemes

• The Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies schemes have multiple objectives like expanding cultivable area under assured irrigation, improving water use efficiency, ground water recharge, improvement and restoration of water bodies thereby increasing the tank storage capacity and revival of lost irrigation potential, increased availability of drinking water, improvement of catchment of tank commands etc.
• Central Ground Water Board is implementing innovative schemes for Aquifer Rejuvenation under ‘Ground Water Management and Regulation’ scheme in select overexploited blocks of the Aspirational districts on pilot basis.
• Water Harvesting and Recharge Augmentation are completed as a pilot project through construction of Bridge cum Bhandaras in districts of Wardha and Amravathi in Maharashtra.
• Further, a joint Action Plan has been prepared with the Ministry of Rural development for effective implementation of water conservation and artificial recharge structures in convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
• Ground Water Irrigation component of PMKSY-HKKP

1. It aims to provide financial assistance to States to provide assured ground water irrigation for small and marginal farmers, in rain-fed areas.
2. Schemes is applicable only in areas having stage of ground water development less than 60%, average rainfall more than 750 mm rainfall and with shallow ground water levels (less than 15 m bgl).
3. The scheme is effectively launched in 2019-20, after revision of operational guidelines of the scheme.

• National Water Mission (NWM) has taken up Jal Shakti Abhiyan:

1. Catch the Rain and Sahi Fasal campaigns for water conservation. “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” is under implementation in all districts, rural as well as urban areas, of the country with the main theme “Catch the Rain, where it falls, when it falls”.
2. The period of the campaign is from 22nd March, 2021 to 30th November, 2021 – the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country.
3. ‘Sahi Fasal’ campaign was launched by NWM on 14.11.2019 to nudge farmers in the water stressed areas to grow crops which are not water intensive, but use water very efficiently; and are economically remunerative; are healthy and nutritious; suited to the agro-climatic- hydro characteristics of the area; and are environmentally friendly.