PIB News Update: Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare is implementing ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC). The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems. Drip micro irrigation technique not only helps in water saving but also in reducing fertilizer usage, labour expenses and other input costs.
For the current year, annual allotment of Rs. 4000 crore has already been allocated and conveyed to the State Governments. The State Governments have identified the beneficiaries to be covered under the programme. Fund release to some of the States is already under process for the year 2020-21.
Further, Micro Irrigation Fund corpus of Rs. 5000 crore has been created with NABARD. The objective of the fund is to facilitate the states in mobilizing the resources for expanding coverage of Micro Irrigation by taking up special and innovative projects and also for incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions available under PMKSY-PDMC to encourage farmers to install micro irrigation systems. So far, Micro Irrigation Funds have been released to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for Rs. 616.14 crore and for Rs.478.79 crore, respectively through NABARD. The area covered under these projects is 1.021 lakh ha. in Andhra Pradesh and 1.76 lakh ha. in Tamil Nadu.
During the last five years (2015-16 to 2019-20), an area of 46.96 lakh ha. has been covered under Micro Irrigation through PMKSY-PDMC.