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Government of India
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
07-February-2020 15:50 IST
Steps to reduce Dependency on Monsoon

The Water Resources Projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves, as per their own resources and priority.  In order to supplement their efforts, Government of India provides technical and financial assistance to State Governments to encourage sustainable development and efficient management of water resources through various schemes and programmes such as, Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) etc.

 

           During 2016-17, ninety-nine (99) on-going Major/Medium irrigation projects under PMKSY- AIBP, having ultimate irrigation potential of 76.03 lakh hectares at an estimated cost of Rs. 77595 Crore (Central Assistance component of Rs. 31342 Crore) have been prioritized in consultation with States, for completion in phases up to December, 2019, along with their Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM) works.  Funding mechanism through NABARD has been approved by the Government for both Central and State Shares.

            Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare through ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad, has prepared detailed crop Contingency Plans for 650 districts. States have been advised for preparing, updating, and fine-tuning Contingency Plans for each district in consultation with CRIDA-ICAR and the State Agriculture Universities and to prepare location specific remedial measures based on these contingency plans in the event of late arrival of monsoon, long dry spells, scanty rainfall, drought conditions, tying up availability of seeds and other inputs for implementing the Contingency Plans.

To mitigate the advance impact of drought, State Governments are advised to initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures under MGNREGA and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for moisture conservation, promoting cultivation of less water consuming crops and restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells and replacing/repairing faulty pumps. Further, the States are also advised to carry out periodic assessment of preparation for kharif crops, particularly contingency crops.

States have been advised to keep aside about 5 to 10% of fund allocated under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for undertaking appropriate interventions, if the situation so warrants, to minimize the adverse impact of an aberrant monsoon on the agriculture sector. The Central Government implements Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) / Central Sector (CS) Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), the Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP), National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), etc. which contribute towards drought proofing. Twenty five percent of total outlay for all CSS Schemes (except for schemes, which emanate from a legislation, e.g., MGNREGA), can be used as flexi funds to enable mitigation/ restoration activities in cases of natural calamities.

Kisan Portal subsumes all mobile based initiatives in the field of agriculture and allied sector. Officers, Scientists and Experts from all organizations and Department of the Government of India and State Governments {including State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Krishi Vigyan Kendras(KVKs) and Agro- Meteorological Field Units (AMFUs)} are using this Portal for disseminating information (giving topical & seasonal advisories and providing services through SMSs to farmers in their local languages) on various agricultural activities to registered farmers.

The Department of Land Resources (DoLR) has sanctioned 8214 watershed development projects in 28 States (except Goa) from 2009-10 to 2014-15, covering an area of about 39.07 million hectares under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). IWMP was amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component (WDC) of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) in 2015-16. An amount of Rs.18429.37 Crore has been released to the concerned States as Central Share from 2009-10 to 2019-20 (upto 31.12.2019) under WDC-PMKSY. The activities being undertaken inter alia include ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods for asset less persons etc.

As per information provided by the States, since 2014-15 (upto 31.12.2019), 6.15 lakh water harvesting structures have been created/rejuvenated. An additional 13.84 lakh hectare area has been brought under protective irrigation.  An advisory has been issued to the States in May 2019 to take necessary steps for intensive Water Conservation and Water Harvesting efforts under WDC-PMKSY.

Financial assistance is provided to the farmers in the form of input subsidy, where crop loss is 33% and above, in the event of notified natural calamities. The assistance provided is different for different categories of cultivated lands, as detailed below:

 

 

(a) For agriculture crops, horticulture crops and annual plantation crops

 

 

 

 

 

(b) Perennial crops

 

 

 

 

(c) Sericulture

 

 

(a)(i) Rs. 6800/- per hectare in rainfed areas and restricted to sown areas.

 

(ii) Rs. 13,500/- per hectare in assured irrigated areas, subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs. 1000/- and restricted to sown areas.

 

(b)Rs. 18,000/- per hectare for all types of perennial crops, subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs. 2000/- and restricted to sown areas.

 

 

 

(c) Rs, 4800/- per hectare for Eri, Mulberry, Tussar.

 

Rs. 6000/- per hectare for Muga.

 

 

The Government of India has approved the following amount from the National Disaster Response Fund to the States, which submitted Memorandums in respect of drought, hailstorm and pest attack, during the last four years and the current year:

Year

Amount approved (Rs. in Crore)

2015-16

15537.74

2016-17

5563.28

2017-18

2089.27

2018-19

9200.20

2019-20

Nil (so far)

 

 

(b):       The details of funds approved by High Level Committee to Jharkhand and Gujarat from National Disaster Response Fund, in respect of drought, since 2015-16, is as under:

Year

State

Jharkhand

(Rs. in Crore)

Gujarat

(Rs. in Crore)

2015-16

336.94

No Memorandum

2016-17

No Memorandum

No Memorandum

2017-18

No Memorandum

No Memorandum

2018-19

272.42

127.60

2019-20

No Memorandum

No Memorandum

 

This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar in Rajya Sabha today.

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APS/PK/BA