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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of R ₹93,068 crore.
The CCEA has approved central support of ₹37,454 crore to States and ₹20,434.56 crore of debt servicing for the loan 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 – 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.
“Central funding of 90% of water component for two national projects, namely Renukaji Dam Project (Himachal Pradesh) and Lakhwar Multipurpose Project (Uttarakhand) has been provisioned. The two projects would provide the beginning of storage in Yamuna basin benefitting six states of upper Yamuna basin, augmenting water supply to Delhi as well Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, UP, Haryana, and Rajasthan and a major step towards rejuvenation of Yamuna," said union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the cabinet briefing.
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 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% to 60% 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, the government said.
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 spring sheds has been included in the program.
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.
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