Lok Sabha Question No. 2942 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-10
Subject: Drought and Irrigation Management
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Mohmad Haneefa

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2942

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  MARCH, 2026

## DROUGHT AND IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT

## 2942. SHRI MOHMAD HANEEFA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Sodh area of Kargil district, along with other parts of Ladakh, has been facing recurring drought-like conditions due to reduced winter snowfall, erratic precipitation and rising temperatures;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to send  an  expert  survey  team  to  conduct  areaspecific assessment of the impact on agriculture and horticulture;
- (c)  whether  sustainable  water  sources  and  tailored  irrigation  and  water  management projects would be identified for Sodh and similarly affected regions; and
- (d) whether such projects would be supported under suitable Central Sponsored Schemes with necessary  flexibility  and  timely financial assistance  to revive agricultural  and horticultural productivity in these drought-affected areas of Ladakh?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a) to (d):  As per the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), the primary responsibility of disaster management including damage assessment and providing relief measures on ground  level,  rests  with  the  State  Governments  concerned.  The  Central  Government provides requisite logistics and financial support to the efforts of the State Governments. The State Governments provide financial relief to the affected people in the event of 12 notified natural disasters, from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), already placed at its disposal, in accordance with approved items and norms of Government of India (GOI). However, in the event  of  disaster  of  a  'severe  nature',  additional  financial  assistance  is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) and  a  memorandum  for  assistance  under  NDRF  for  drought  submitted  by  State/UT Government.

As per information received from UT of Ladakh, the northern part of Kargil District in which Sodh Area falls is traditionally dry, receiving less snowfall. UT of Ladakh promotes sustainable  water  management  practices for  horticulture  in  Ladakh,  including  Sodh. These include the promotion of such as drip irrigation and water lifting devices for the high-altitude cold desert conditions. Various horticulture development activities, including those  related  to  water  management  are  being  implemented  under  Central  Sponsored Schemes such as the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). These schemes provide financial assistance for micro-irrigation, protected cultivation and orchard development, thereby supporting the improvement of horticultural productivity in climatevulnerable and drought-affected areas of UT of Ladakh.

Under  Central  Sponsored  Schemes  i.e.    Per  drop  More  Crop  (PDMC),  Micro Irrigations Systems (Drip & Sprinkler Irrigation) with 55% subsidy are promoted to optimized scarce water use. UT of Ladakh is also promoting snow harvesting techniques such  as artificial  glacier  to  capture  and  store  winter  precipitation  for  control  melting  during  dry periods. An area of about 8.0 hectares has been brought under Micro Irrigation Project in Sodh area of Kargil District under UT Scheme (SDP).

As  per  the  information  received  from  ICAR,  The  ICAR  flagship  network  project 'National Innovations  in Climate  Resilient  Agriculture (NICRA)'  conducted  risk  and vulnerability  assessment  of  Indian Agriculture  to  climate  change  for  573  predominantly agriculture  districts  in  India  using  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change  (IPCC) protocol. Under NICRA project, location specific climate resilient agricultural technologies suitable to Ladakh agro-climatic conditions include vegetable nursery raising using low-cost tunnels, mulching in cabbage to alleviate moisture stress and cold stress, hybrid broccoli for sustainable production during summer, low-cost mushroom unit and alfalfa-poultry model with Vanraja breed for livelihood diversification. KVK, Ladakh is gets financial assistance under  NICRA  project  for  conducting  technology  demonstrations  and  capacity  building programs on climate resilient agricultural technologies to mitigate water scarcity and sustain agricultural and horticultural productivity in the region. ICAR-CAZRI supported broader cold arid water management  training,  including plasticulture and  watershed  techniques, applicable  to  drought-prone  Ladakh.  ICAR-CAZRI  has  promoted  resource  management technologies under TSP project to boost productivity at Leh.

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