The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has today approved the continuation of the Government of India’s flagship irrigation scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of Rs.93,068 crore.
The CCEA has approved a Central support of Rs.37,454 crore to the states and Rs.20,434.56 crore of debt servicing for loans availed by the Government of India for irrigation development during PMKSY 2016-21.
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Har Khet ko Paani (HKKP) and Watershed Development components have been approved for continuation during 2021-26.
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme
Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme – a flagship programme of the Government of India aims for financial support to irrigation projects. Total additional irrigation potential creation targeted during 2021-26 under AIBP is 13.88 lakh hectares. Apart from the focused completion of 60 ongoing projects including their 30.23 lakh hectare command area development, additional projects can also be taken up. The inclusion criteria have been relaxed for projects under tribal and drought-prone areas.
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Central funding of 90 per cent of water components for two national projects, namely Renukaji Dam Project (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (Uttarakhand) have been provisioned. The two projects would provide the beginning of storage in the Yamuna basin benefitting six states of the upper Yamuna basin, augmenting water supply to Delhi as well Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan and a major step towards rejuvenation of Yamuna.
Har Khet Ko Pani (Water to every farmland)
Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP) aims for the enhancement of physical access on the farm and the expansion of cultivable areas under assured irrigation. Under HKKP, surface minor irrigation and repair-renovation-restoration of water bodies component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is targeted to provide additional 4.5 lakh hectare irrigation. In view of the importance of rejuvenation of water bodies, the Cabinet has approved a paradigm shift in the funding of their rejuvenation in both urban and rural areas, with significant expansion of their inclusion criteria, and enhancement of central assistance from 25 per cent to 60 per cent in the general area. Further, the Ground Water component of HKKP, approved provisionally for 2021-22, targets the creation of irrigation potential of 1.52 lakh hectares.
Watershed Development
The Watershed Development component focuses on the development of rainfed areas towards soil and water conservation, regeneration of groundwater, arresting runoff and promoting extension activities related to water harvesting and management. The approved Watershed Development component of the Department of Land Resources envisages the completion of sanctioned projects covering 49.5 lakh hectare rainfed/ degraded lands to bring an additional 2.5 lakh hectare under protective irrigation, during 2021-26. A specific provision for the development of springsheds has been included in the programme.
Background
Launched in 2015, PMKSY is an umbrella scheme, providing central grants to the state governments for specific activities detailed below. It consists of two major components by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, namely, Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), and Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP). HKKP, in turn, consists of four sub-components, being Command Area Development (CAD), Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI), Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies, and Ground Water Development. In addition, the Watershed Development part is being implemented by the Department of Land Resources.
Another component of PMKSY, Per Drop More Crop is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
