Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has approved the draft operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) to enable convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, and improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water. The scheme also aims to enhance recharge of aquifers, introduce water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal waste for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system.
The draft guidelines have been formulated in consultation with different Ministries, departments and stakeholders and it has been now circulated among Chief Secretaries of States for their views.
PMKSY will have several programme components including accelerated irrigation benefit programme, water for every field, more crop per drop, watershed development. The District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) will be the cornerstone for planning and implementation of PMKSY. DIPs will identify the gaps in irrigation infrastructure after taking into consideration the District Agriculture Plans (DAPs) vis-à-vis irrigation infrastructure currently available and resources that would be added during XII Plan from other ongoing schemes (both State and Central), like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), Member of Parliament local Area Development (MPlAD) Scheme, Member of legislative Assembly local Area Development (MlAlAD) Scheme, local body funds etc.
The DIPs can be prepared at two levels, the block and the district. Keeping in view the convenience of map preparation and data collection, the work would be primarily done at block level so that access to water source can be created to each farm.