Lok Sabha Question No. 5397 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-05
Subject: Minor and Watershed Irrigation
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sadashiv Kisan Lokhande

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5397

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 5 TH  APRIL, 2022

## MINOR AND WATERSHED IRRIGATION

5397.  SHRI SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE:

Will  the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  minor  and  watershed  irrigation  is  not  being  properly  used  in agriculture in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the efforts made by the Government for the maximum utilization of minor and watershed irrigation in agriculture; and
- (d) the  extent  to  which  success  has  been  achieved  by  the  Government through the said efforts?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (d):  Works related to Surface Minor Irrigation and Watershed Development are planned,  executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves as per their own resources and priorities.  In order to supplement the efforts of the State  Governments,  Government  of  India  provides  technical  and  financial assistance to States to encourage  sustainable development  and  efficient management of these activities through various schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY)  implementing    from    2015-16.  The details are as under:

The Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation and Restoration  (RRR)  of  Water  Bodies  schemes  are  being  implemented  by  the Department  of  Water  Resources,  River  Development  &  Ganga  Rejuvenation (DoWR,RD&GR) under  the  Har  Khet  Ko  Pani  (HKKP)  component  of  PMKSY. Watershed  Development  is  being  implemented  by  the  Department  of  Land Resource (DoLR) as a component  of PMKSY.

The  DoWR,RD&GR  provides  Central  Assistance  (CA)  to  States  for creation  and  restoration  of  Irrigation  Potential    through  the  SMI  and  RRR  of Water Bodies  schemes.  Under  SMI  scheme,  6213  schemes  are  ongoing  from 12th plan onwards and CA of Rs. 8017 crores have been released to states upto March, 2021. Out of which, 3891 schemes have been reported to be completed by March, 2021. Further, 6.92 lakh ha irrigation potential is reported to be created till  March, 2021. During the same period, 2228 schemes are ongoing under the RRR of Water Bodies scheme and Central Assistance (CA) of Rs. 469.69 crore has been released to states upto March, 2021. Out of which, 1549 water bodies have  been  reported  to  be  completed  by  March,  2021.  Further,  1.31  lakh  ha irrigation potential is reported to be restored till March, 2021. The  Watershed  Development  Component  of  PMKSY  (WDC-PMKSY)  is principally  for  development  of  rainfed  /  degraded  lands.  The  activities  being undertaken through the watershed development projects inter alia include ridge area  treatment,  drainage  line  treatment,  soil  and  moisture  conservation,  rain water harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation, horticulture, pasture development, livelihoods for assetless persons etc.  During 2009-10 to 2014-15, total  8214  watershed  development projects  have been sanctioned in 28 States (now 27 States and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) under the erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP). Out of these sanctioned projects, 1832 projects were later transferred to States for implementation from their own resources and balance 6382 projects were being funded  by  DoLR. Out  of  the  6382 projects,  5265  projects  have  reported completed  as  on  28.02.2022.  The  project  period  of  WDC-PMKSY  got  over  on 31.03.2021. As per the information received from the States  /UTs,  about  6.52 lakh water harvesting structures have been created / rejuvenated, an additional area  of  about  14.40   lakh  ha  has  been  brought  under  protective  irrigation  and about 31.22 lakh farmers  have been benefitted  from 2015-16 to 2021-22 (up to Quarter 3) .   Further,  during  2018-19  to  2021-22 (up  to  Quarter  3),  about  1.51 lakh  ha  area  has  been  brought  under  plantation  (Horticulture  /  Afforestation), about 3.29 lakh ha area of culturable wasteland has been treated in completed projects. The continuation of WDC-PMKSY has been approved by Government of India on 15.12.2021 as 'WDC-PMKSY 2.0' for the project period of 2021-2026 with a physical target of 49.50 lakh ha and indicative Central financial outlay of Rs.  8,134  crore.  As  on  31.03.2022,  DoLR  has  sanctioned  1099  projects  to States/UTs covering  an  area  of  49.21  lakh  hectare  under  the  scheme  and  an amount of Rs. 1165.17 crore as CA has been released to States/UTs.  End-line evaluation  reports  of  completed  projects  revealed  considerable  improvements due  to  watershed  interventions,  on  the  water  table,  crop  productivity,  milk

production and per capita income.

*****