Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) was launched in 2015-16 with objectives to enhance physical access of water on farms; expand cultivable area under assured irrigation; improve water use efficiency in agriculture and introduce sustainable conservation practices. This scheme has subsumed three erstwhile schemes of three different ministries as follows:

• Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programmeof the Ministry of Water Resources
• Integrated Watershed Management Programmeof the Ministry of Rural Development
• Farm water management componentof the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture.

After subsuming the above schemes, the new scheme was launched under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. However, in 2016, the ministry of water resources was once again made the nodal ministry for this scheme. Thus, currently, the scheme is being implemented under Water Resources Ministry.

Objectives

The broad objectives of PMKSY are as follows:

• Converge investments in irrigation at the farm level and provide end-to-end solution
• Har Khet Ko Pani: Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation
• Integration of source, distribution, efficient use of water through appropriate technology and practice
• Enhance adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies under More Crop Per Drop.
• Promotion of micro-irrigation in the form of drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns in the farm (Jal Sinchan)
• Enhance recharge of aquifers; promote sustainable water conservation
• Ensure integrated development of Rainfed areas
• Water harvesting, water management and crop alignment, explore feasibility of reusing treated municipal waste water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investments in irrigation.

Components

Centre- States will be 75: 25 per cent. In case of north-eastern region and hilly states it will be 90:10. The PMKSY has following four components:

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)

This focuses on faster completion of ongoing Major, Minor and Medium Irrigation including National Projects.

Har Khet ko Pani

This component mainly focuses on creation of new water sources through minor irrigation that includes both surface and groundwater. It also encompasses the repair, restoration and renovation of water bodies; strengthening carrying capacity of traditional water sources, construction rain water harvesting structures under its Jal Sanchay sub-component. Other things includes are:

• Command area development with creation of distribution network from source to the farm
• Ground water development in the areas where it is abundant, so that sink is created to store runoff/ flood water during peak rainy season.
• At least 10% of the command area to be covered under micro/precision irrigation.
• Diversion of water from water abundant to nearby water scarce areas
• Creating and rejuvenating traditional water storage systems like Jal Mandir (Gujarat); Khatri, Kuhl (H.P.); Zabo (Nagaland); Eri, Ooranis (T.N.); Dongs (Assam); Katas, Bandhas (Odisha and M.P.) etc. at feasible locations.

(Micro-Irrigation) Per Drop More Crop

This component promotes efficient water conveyance and precision water application devices like drips, sprinklers, pivots, rain-guns in the farm (Jal Sinchan). It also focuses on construction of micro-irrigation and storage systems.

Watershed Development

This component focuses on effective management of runoff water and improved soil & moisture conservation activities such as ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, rain water harvesting, in-situ moisture conservation and other allied activities on watershed basis.

Implementation

The PMSKY works on Project mode. The planning and execution is decentralized. The cornerstone of planning and implementation of PMKSY are District Irrigation Plans (DIPs). This DIP will identify the gaps in irrigation infrastructure of a district.  A DIP can be prepared on two levels viz. Block and District. The DIPs will be vetted by the Governing body of Zila Panchayat and subsequently be incorporated in the State Irrigation Plan (SIP). Thus, an SIP is a consolidation of DIPs and it also takes into consideration the State Agricultural Plans created under the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.  PMKSY projects would be scrutinised by the State Level Project Screening Committee (SLPSC) and sanctioned by the State Level Sanctioning Committee, which is already set under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. The state agriculture department would be the nodal agency for implementation of PMKSY projects with inter-ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) for periodic review of the same. The funds under PMKSY will be allocated only if state government has prepared the district irrigation plans and state irrigation plans. PMKSY funds would be given to states as 75 per cent grant by the central government and the remaining 25 per cent share is to be borne by the state government. But, for the north-eastern region and hilly states, the funding pattern would be 90:10.