Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is an umbrella scheme, consisting, inter alia, of two major components being implemented by this Ministry, namely, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), and Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP). HKKP, in turn, consists of four sub-components: Command Area Development & Water Management (CAD&WM), Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI), Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies, and Ground Water (GW) Development. However, while approving continuation of PMKSY for the period 2021-26, Government of India has provisionally approved GW Development component only for ongoing works.
Further, PMKSY also included two components being implemented by other Departments. Per Drop More Crop component of PMKSY was being implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, which is now no longer a part of PMKSY. In addition, Watershed Development component of PMKSY is being implemented by Department of Land Resources.
Under 85 number of projects included under CAD&WM component of PMKSY-HKKP in 2016, during 2016-2022 cultivable command area of 16.42 lakh hectare has been covered. Further, irrigation potential of 2.58 lakh hectare has been achieved during 2016-2022 under SMI component of PMKSY-HKKP, with completion of 2,406 number of projects in this period. Similarly under RRR of Water Bodies component of PMKSY-HKKP, 0.84 lakh hectare of irrigation potential has been achieved during 2016-2022, with completion of work in 1,134 number of water bodies, and revival of storage of 131.15 million cubic meter. Under GW Development component of HKKP, till June, 2022, 27,962 number of wells have been completed, creating 70.89 thousand hectare irrigation potential.
Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI Ayog has carried out evaluation of PMKSY for the period 2015-2020. Further “Performance and Impact of Micro Irrigation in Improving Water Use Efficiency in India’s Agriculture: Study of the PMKSY-PDMC” has been carried out by Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in the year 2021. In addition, progress of various projects under PMKSY are being reviewed from time to time by various authorities and agencies of the State Government as well as Government of India.
Apart from the irrigation potential created under different components of PMKSY-HKKP mentioned above, an additional irrigation potential of 24.35 lakh hectare has been created during 2016-17 to 2021-2022 by major and medium irrigation projects being provided partial financial assistance under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) component of PMKSY-AIBP. In addition, under Per Drop More Crop component of PMKSY being implemented by Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, during 2015-22, 67.46 lakh hectare has been covered under micro irrigation. Similarly, under Watershed Development component of PMKSY being implemented by Department of Land Resources, during 2015-22 inter-alia an additional area of 14.54 lakh hectare has been brought under protective irrigation.
In order to reduce the gap between irrigation potential created and utilized, the State Governments concerned are undertaking command area development and water management works, primarily consisting of on-farm development works. Further, since 1974-75, Government of India has been providing partial financial assistance to identified projects for CAD&WM works under centrally sponsored scheme named Command Area Development scheme, which was later re-named as Command Area Development & Water Management scheme. The scheme was brought under the PMKSY-HKKP umbrella in 2015. Since 2016, central assistance to CAD&WM works by Government of India under PMKSY is limited to pari passu implementation of CAD&WM works in respect of the 85 eligible projects out of 99 priority projects included under PMKSY-AIBP.
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
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