What's New

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana- 2.0

Relevance

• GS Paper 2 Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance, applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential;
• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
• Tags: #pmksy  #krishi #sinchai #scheme #currentaffairs #upsc

Achievements 

• Increased irrigation potential: PMKSY has created an additional irrigation potential of over 110 lakh hectares (lha) since its launch in 2015-16. This has helped to expand the area under assured irrigation and reduce the dependency on rainfed agriculture.
• Improved water use efficiency: PMKSY has promoted micro-irrigation technologies such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, which have helped to improve water use efficiency by up to 40%. This has led to significant water savings and higher crop yields.
• Enhanced recharge of aquifers: PMKSY has supported various rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge initiatives. This has helped to improve the availability of groundwater resources, especially in drought-prone areas.
• Reduced wastage of water: PMKSY has helped to reduce wastage of water through various measures such as lining of canals, improvement of field channels, and installation of water meters. This has helped to conserve water and improve irrigation efficiency.
• Increased crop productivity: PMKSY has helped to increase crop productivity by providing farmers with access to assured irrigation and water saving technologies. This has resulted in higher incomes for farmers and improved food security for the nation.
• PMKSY Extension (2021-2026): The government approved the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26. It comes with an overall outlay of Rs. 93,068.56 crore, with central assistance, debt servicing to NABARD, and state share contributions.

Case Studies

• In Gujarat, PMKSY has helped to bring over 10 lakh hectares of land under drip irrigation. This has led to a significant increase in water use efficiency and crop productivity.
• In Maharashtra, PMKSY has supported the construction of over 1,000 water storage structures. This has helped to improve the availability of water for irrigation and drinking purposes in drought-prone areas.
  • Special Package for Maharashtra Irrigation Projects (2018): A special package was sanctioned to complete eight major/medium irrigation (MMI) and 83 surface minor irrigation (SMI) projects in Maharashtra.
    • These projects had an estimated balance cost as of April 2018. The package is aimed at creating irrigation potential of 3.77 lakh hectares, with significant central assistance.
  • In Andhra Pradesh, PMKSY has helped to line over 10,000 kilometers of canals. This has helped to reduce water seepage and wastage.
  • In Karnataka, PMKSY has supported the installation of over 2 lakh water meters for farmers. This has helped to improve water management and reduce wastage.
  • In Odisha, PMKSY has helped to bring over 5 lakh hectares of land under micro-irrigation. This has led to a significant increase in water use efficiency and crop productivity.
  • Shahpurkandi Dam Project (2018): Financial assistance was approved for the Shahpurkandi Dam (National) project, which benefits Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
    • This project is a key investment in enhancing regional irrigation and water resources.
  • Renukaji and Lakhwar Multipurpose Projects (2021): In December 2021, the government approved central assistance for the Renukaji and Lakhwar multipurpose (National) projects.
    • These projects, located in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, respectively, are integral to efficient water resource management in the region.
  • Ken-Betwa Link Project (2021): The government gave the green light to the Ken-Betwa link project in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, marking a substantial investment in interlinking rivers to optimize water resources and enhance irrigation capacity.

These initiatives reflect the government’s continued commitment to improving water resource management, irrigation infrastructure, and agricultural productivity across various regions of the country. They aim to provide water security, support rural development, and empower farmers and communities.

Advantages 

• Enhanced Agricultural Productivity: PMKSY significantly contributes to increased agricultural productivity by providing assured irrigation, reducing dependency on erratic rainfall. This leads to higher crop yields and food security.
• Water Use Efficiency: The scheme promotes the adoption of water-saving technologies and precision irrigation, ensuring optimal water use. This not only conserves water resources but also reduces production costs for farmers.
• Sustainable Water Management: PMKSY’s focus on aquifer recharge and efficient water use practices helps in the sustainable management of water resources, preventing their depletion and degradation.
• Empowering Farmers: By improving irrigation access, PMKSY empowers farmers to diversify their crops, adopt modern farming techniques, and enhance their economic well-being.
• Reduced Rural Distress: Reliable irrigation infrastructure reduces the vulnerability of farmers to droughts and crop failures, ultimately reducing rural distress and farmer suicides.
• Food Security: Increased agricultural productivity leads to greater food production, contributing to food security and ensuring a stable food supply for the nation.
• Rural Development: PMKSY fosters rural development by creating infrastructure and job opportunities in the agriculture and allied sectors, thereby boosting rural economies.
• Environmental Sustainability: The scheme encourages practices like wastewater reuse and aquifer recharge, which promote environmental sustainability and reduce pollution.
• Public-Private Partnership: PMKSY also promotes private sector investment in precision irrigation, leading to innovation and technological advancements in the agricultural sector.
• Reduced Regional Disparities: The Yojana aims to address regional disparities in water resource availability by improving irrigation infrastructure in water-scarce areas, thereby promoting balanced development.

Disadvantages

• Budgetary Constraints: Adequate budgetary allocations are essential for the successful implementation of PMKSY. Budget constraints can limit the scale and scope of the scheme.
• Land Acquisition Challenges: Land acquisition for constructing new canals and reservoirs can be a complex and time-consuming process, leading to delays in project execution.
• Operational and Maintenance Challenges: Ensuring the effective and sustainable operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure can be a challenge, especially in remote or rural areas.
• Equitable Distribution: Ensuring the equitable distribution of irrigation benefits among farmers and regions can be difficult, and disparities may persist.
• Environmental Impact: While the scheme promotes water resource management, there can be unintended environmental consequences if not implemented with care, such as changes in local ecosystems.
• Inter-State Disputes: Projects that span multiple states can lead to disputes and conflicts over water sharing and resource management.
• Technical Challenges: Implementing precision irrigation and modern water-saving technologies may require technical expertise and farmer training, which can be a hurdle in some areas.
• Delayed Project Completion: Despite PMKSY’s emphasis on completing delayed projects, challenges related to land acquisition, funding, and coordination can still result in project delays.
• Monitoring and Accountability: Ensuring transparency, monitoring, and accountability in the implementation of PMKSY projects can be a challenge, leading to potential misuse of resources.
• Local Resistance: In some cases, local communities may resist land acquisition or project execution, leading to delays and disputes.

Way Forward

PMKSY has been a successful program in achieving its objectives of increasing irrigation potential, improving water use efficiency, and enhancing crop productivity. However, there is still scope for improvement in the implementation and impact of the program.

• Improved planning and implementation: The planning and implementation of PMKSY needs to be further improved to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. There is also a need to strengthen the capacity of state and district governments to implement the program effectively.
• Increased focus on micro-irrigation: PMKSY should focus on promoting micro-irrigation technologies such as drip and sprinkler irrigation on a larger scale. This will help to improve water use efficiency and reduce wastage of water.
• Rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge: PMKSY should support more rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge initiatives. This will help to improve the availability of water for irrigation and drinking purposes, especially in drought-prone areas.
• Addressing equity concerns: PMKSY should ensure that its benefits are evenly distributed among all farmers, including small and marginal farmers. This can be done by providing more subsidies to small farmers and by targeting interventions to disadvantaged areas.
• Increase the focus on micro-irrigation and rainwater harvesting in water-scarce areas.
• Provide more subsidies to small and marginal farmers to make micro-irrigation more affordable.
• Invest in research and development of new water-saving technologies.
• Promote capacity building among farmers and extension workers on the use of water-saving technologies and sustainable agriculture practices.
• Develop a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework to track the progress of PMKSY and identify areas for improvement.

By implementing these recommendations, the government can make PMKSY even more effective in achieving its objectives and improving the lives of farmers.

Mains question

What have been the notable achievements of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana in enhancing agricultural productivity? Discuss with illustrations.