Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

The Indian democracy is dedicated to making water preservation and management a top priority. For this reason, the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana or PMKSY was created to expand irrigation coverage and increase water use efficiency in a focused manner by providing an end-to-end solution for source design, allocation, management, field application, and extension activities. 

In a meeting conducted on July 1, 2015, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, approved the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). 

PMKSY was created by combining all existing schemes such as the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, Ganga Rejuvenation’s, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, the Department of Land Resources’, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, and the Department of Agriculture and Cooperations. 

PMKSY has been approved for its active implementation across the country with a five-year budget of Rs. 50,000 crores. An allocation of Rs.5300 crore has been made for 2015-16, which includes Rs. 1800 crore for DAC, Rs. 1500 crore for DoLR, and Rs. 2000 crore for MoWR (Rs. 1000 crore for AIBP; Rs. 1000 crores for PMKSY).

Objectives of the Scheme

The following are the objectives of the PMKSY Scheme.

1. Increase the use of precision irrigation.
2. Increase the use of other water-saving technology (More crop per drop)
3. Reduce water waste by improving on-farm water efficiency.
4. Irrigation investment convergence at the field level
5. Increase the amount of land that farmers can cultivate with reliable irrigation.
6. The feasibility of reusing treated municipal wastewater for peri-urban agriculture is being investigated.
7. Attract more private funding for the precision irrigation system.
8. Improve aquifer recharge and implement long-term water conservation measures.

Advantage of the Scheme

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana comprises three irrigation-related programs overseen by various ministries. Its primary goal is to tie together diverse ministries involved in water consumption and recycling on a single platform.

In 2015, the government created the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), similar to the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program with slight modifications in implementation. It substitutes its fragmented strategy with an integrated approach, effectively aggregating irrigation investments. The significant advantages of the scheme are:

• Efficient & Flexible
• Higher Profits
• Higher Yield
• Higher fertilizer-use efficiency (FUE)
• Improved Crop Quality
• Fewer Energy Costs
• Marginal Solis & Water
• Reduce Soli Loss
• Reduced Labour Costs
• Water-Saving & Water Use Efficiency (WUE)

Documents needed for Application

The following documents are mandated to be furnished to apply successfully for the PMKSY Scheme:

• Aadhar Card of the applicant
• Identity card of the applicant
• Housing Certificate of the applicant
• Farm papers
• Bank Account Details and updated Passbook of the applicant
• Current Functional Mobile number of the applicant
• Passport Size Photo of the applicant

Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme

The eligibility standards for this scheme is as stated below:

• Farmers of any type are eligible to participate in this scheme.
• Farmers who have been cultivating land under the Lease Agreement for the last seven years would also be eligible for the PM Krishi Irrigation Scheme.
• Members of Self-Help Groups, Trusts, Cooperative Societies, Incorporated Companies, and Producer Farmers’ Groups can participate in this plan by registering.
• It is a requirement that each applicant has their agricultural land.
• Only Indian citizens (farmer brothers) can participate in the Prime Minister’s Agricultural Irrigation Scheme.

How to Apply for PMKSY

Follow these easy steps below to sign up for the PMKSY:

Step 1: Go to the official website of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, which is https://pmksy.gov.in/.

Step 2: Log in to the website’s homepage. You can log in with your name and email address.

Step 3: After that, go to the ‘About’ part of the website to acquire information about the Agricultural Irrigation Scheme.

The Different Components of the PMKSY Scheme

The three major components of the PMKSY are detailed below:

Har Khet ko Pani

• Improvements in water management and distribution systems for water bodies to take advantage of available sources that are not utilized to their total capability.
• Water is diverted from several sources to nearby water-scarce areas in large quantities, and Dongs (Assam), and refurbishment; increasing the carrying capacity of conventional water sources, and constructing rainwater harvesting structures.
• Minor irrigation creates new water sources for both surface and groundwater.
• Because groundwater development is abundant in the area, as well as the strengthening and building of a distribution network from the source to the farm
• Creating and revitalizing historic water storage systems such as Jal Mandir (Gujarat), restoration

Per Drop More Crop

• Promoting effective water conveyance and precision water application equipment in the farm, such as drippers, sprinklers, pivots, and rain – cannons (Jal Sinchan)
• The district irrigation plan calls for micro-irrigation infrastructure to augment source creation operations, such as tube wells and dug wells.
• Secondary storage structures at the canal system’s tail end to store water when it is abundant (rainy season) or from perennial sources such as streams for use during dry periods via effective on-farm water management; Water lifting devices such as diesel/electric/solar pump sets, including water carriage pipes underground piping system
• Extension efforts to promote scientific moisture conservation and agronomic measures (Jal sarankchan)

Watershed Development

• Effective runoff water management and improved soil and moisture conservation operations, such as ridge area treatment, rainwater collection, and so on.
• Converging with MGNREGS for the construction of a full-potential water supply in specified backward rainfed blocks, including the renovation of traditional water bodies

Important points to note about the scheme

These postulates must be kept in mind when discussing the PMKSY Scheme.

1. PMKSY aims to provide a comprehensive solution for farm irrigation needs, with the tagline “Har Khet Ko Pani,” which translates to “guaranteed irrigation for every farm.”
2. PMKSY also promotes micro-irrigation using sprinklers, rain-guns, drips, and other devices. Micro-irrigation not only saves water but also significantly cuts fertilizer usage.
3. For 2015 to 2016, the project was given Rs.5,300 crores, while the overall budget for the following five years is estimated to be around Rs.50,000 crores.
4. Increase the use of water-saving technologies and precision irrigation, which can be translated as “More Crop Per Drop.”
5. In addition, the initiative intends to integrate irrigation with cutting-edge technology approaches and cover more cultivable land with reliable irrigation.
6. One of its primary goals is to entice private investment in the irrigation sector and promote inclusive development in both rainfed and non-rainfed areas.

Crucial Information on PMKSY Implementation

Everything in PMKSY is regionalized, from planning to implementation. The District Irrigation Plans (DIPs) will identify the regions needing irrigation improvements. DIPs are primarily used at the block and district levels. 

The State Irrigation Plan brings together all of the DIPs and oversees the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana’s agriculture programs. All PMKSY projects are screened at the state level and approved by the state sanctioning committee, overseen by the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana. 

Another exciting aspect of the project implementation is that the centre will only provide the funding if the state has completed district and state irrigation plans. Except for the north-eastern states, where the state government contributes 10%, the state government’s part under PMKSY is 25%, and the centre pays the balance.

The state agriculture department will be the nodal agency for PMKSY projects, and the National Steering Committee will conduct a periodic assessment of all sanctioned projects (NSC).