Lok Sabha Question No. 803 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-04
Subject: Adoption of Drip Irrigation and Sprinkler System
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 803

ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025

## ADOPTION OF DRIP IRRIGATION AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM

†803.

Dr. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE:

SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM:

SMT. DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the manner in which the Government is promoting the efficient use of water in the agriculture sector including the adoption of drip irrigation and sprinkler systems;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  formulating  any  scheme  to  encourage  farmers  to  cultivate  crops requiring less water, if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise including UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and State of Madhya Pradesh; and

(c) the manner in which the Government plans the modernization and maintenance of canals and other irrigation  systems,  State/UT-wise  particularly  in  the  State  of  Madhya  Pradesh  and  UT  of  Dadra  and Nagar Haveli?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a)  &  (b) The  Cabinet  has  approved  Modernization  of  Command  Area  Development  and  Water Management (M-CADWM) as a sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) on 09.04.2025 . The  scheme  aims  for  modernization  of  the  irrigation  water  supply  network  to  supply irrigation  water  from  existing  distributary  canals  or  other  water  sources  in  a  designated  cluster.  It  is envisaged to facilitate the creation of backend infrastructure supporting micro-irrigation from established water sources up to the farm gate (up to about 1 Ha). The scheme envisages to enhance On Farm Water Use Efficiency (WUE) by providing pressurized pipe irrigation network and encouraging the  farmers  to  adopt  drip/  sprinkler  systems  for  efficient  use  of  water.  The  M-CADWM  pilot implementation covers 23 States/UTs, as detailed at Annexure-I . The UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli is not part of the pilot States/UTs.

To fulfil the requirements of one of the goals of National Water Mission (NWM) i.e. to increase water use efficiency by 20%, Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) has been set up for efficient use of water in irrigation, industrial and domestic sectors.

The following actions were taken by BWUE to promote and create awareness among farmers regarding drip irrigation and sprinkler systems:

- i. Sahi Fasal: The National Water Mission launched the 'Sahi Fasal' campaign in 2019. Under this  initiative,  the  BWUE,  in  collaboration  with  the  Atal  Bhujal  Yojana  and  the  Small Farmers' Agribusiness  Consortium (SFAC), planned 14 campaigns across 7 states during the  financial  year  2024-25,  all  of  which  have  been  completed.  The  campaign  aims  to encourage  farmers  in  water-stressed  areas  to  adopt  less  water-intensive  and  more  waterefficient crops, and to raise awareness about micro-irrigation techniques for improved water management.
- ii. Baseline Studies: To evaluate the WUE of major and medium irrigation projects, the NWM has completed 17 baseline studies through three premier institutions: the Water and Land Management Training and Research Institute (WALAMTARI), Hyderabad; the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI), Aurangabad; and the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode.
- iii. Regional Conference of WUE in Irrigation Sector: The 1st Regional Conference on "Water Use Efficiency (WUE) in the Irrigation Sector" was organized on 22.11.2025 at Chaudhary Charan Singh National Institute of Agricultural Marketing (CCS NIAM), Jaipur, Rajasthan. The  Conference  focused  on  enhancing  water  efficiency  and  promoting  best  practices  in water use across all sectors, with a special emphasis on the irrigation sector. Approximately 150 participants along with officials from the Water Resources and Agriculture Departments of six states (Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka) and two UTs (Leh, and Jammu & Kashmir), and farmers, participated in the event.

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) in the Country from 2015-16. PDMC focuses on enhancing WUE at farm level through Micro Irrigation namely Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. From the year  2015-16  to  2021-22,  the  PDMC  was  implemented  as  a  component  of  Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY).  From  the  year  2022-23,  the  PDMC  is  being  implemented  under  the Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY).  Under  the  PDMC,  the  Government  provides  financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and  Sprinkler  systems.  Besides  State  Government  also  provide  Top-up  subsidy  to  farmers  from  their State  Budget.  The  assistance  for  installation  of  Micro  Irrigation  systems  is  limited  to  5  hectares  per beneficiary.

Further,  to  encourage  micro  irrigation  for  enhancing  WUE  in  agriculture,  the  Government created a Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with initial corpus of Rs. 5000 crore with NABARD in 2018-19. The  main  objective  of  MIF  is  to  facilitate  States  in  mobilizing  the  resources  for  top  up/additional incentives to farmers for micro irrigation over and above the assistance available under PDMC Scheme.

The  MoA&FW  provides  interest  subvention@2%  on  the  loan  availed  by  the  States.  The  interest subvention is being made available from the budget allocation of PM-RKVY-PDMC. Union Cabinet in its meeting dated 03.10.2024 has approved to double the corpus to Rs.10000 crores.

The  Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  under  Ground  Water  Management  &  Regulation (GWM&R) Scheme, has taken up National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM). The Aquifer Mapping is aimed to delineate aquifer disposition and their characterization for preparation of  aquifer/  area  specific  ground  water  management  plans  with  community  participation.  The  Aquifer mapping  for  the  entire  mappable  area  of  the  Country  of  about  25  lakh  sq.  km  has  been  completed including UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and State of Madhya Pradesh. Based on NAQUIM studies, groundwater  management  plans  have  been  prepared  wherein  crop-diversification,  promotion  and adoption of WUE & conservation practices viz. drip/sprinkler has been proposed as one of the demand side management measures for sustainable groundwater development.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) suggests judicious use of water through efficient  irrigation  techniques  including  micro-irrigation  for  various  crops  to  save  irrigation  water substantially. As per  ICAR, the water use efficiency of micro irrigation including drip irrigation is as high  as  80-95%  in  comparison  to  only  30-50%  in  conventional  flood  irrigation.  Farmers  are  given advisories  for  adoption  of  modern  agronomic  practices  like  raised  bed  sowing,  alternate  furrow irrigation,  sprinkler  irrigation,  drip  irrigation,  mulching,  Direct  Seeding  of  Rice  (DSR)  through  seed drills  and  drum  seeders,  alternate  wetting  &  drying  method,  laser  land  leveling,  adoption  of  varieties which require less water etc. In order to promote drip and sprinkler irrigation and use of water-soluble fertilizers through drip irrigation (fertigation), ICAR imparts training, organizes field demonstrations to educate farmers in this regard.

The  Central  Agricultural  Universities  (CAUs)  under  Department  Agricultural  Research  and Education (DARE) are actively contributing to the promotion of efficient water use in the agriculture sector,  particularly  through  the  adoption  of  drip  and  sprinkler  irrigation  systems.  CAUs  are  also undertaking several research, demonstration, and extension activities through programmes/projects such as:  (i)  All  India  Coordinated  Research  Project  (AICRP)  on  Irrigation  Water  Management  (IWM)  (ii) Precision  Farming  Development  Centre  (PFDC)  (iii)  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  Programme  (iv) National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  (NICRA)  Project  (v)  Krishi  Vigyan  Kendra (KVKs).

Further, the efficient use of water resources has been strongly emphasized in the National Water Policy (2012).

Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DoA&FW) is implementing Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) under Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) in Original Green Revolution States namely Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh to divert the area of  water  guzzling  paddy  to  alternative  crops  viz;  pulses,  oilseed,  coarse  cereals,  nutri  cereals  (Shree Anna), cotton and Agroforestry. Under CDP, the assistance is being provided to farmers through State

Governments  for  four  major  components  viz.,  alternate  crop  demonstrations,  farm  mechanization  & value  addition,  site-specific  activities  &  contingency  for  awareness,  training  etc.  Under  Site  Specific activities, the assistance is being provided on water application tools.

Public Interaction Programs (PIP) are being organized at the grassroots level to disseminate the principles of the Aquifer Management Plans as part of the NAQUIM Programme. Around 1550 public interaction programs have been conducted across different parts of the country including UT of Dadra and  Nagar  Haveli  and  State  of  Madhya  Pradesh,  raising  awareness  among  stakeholders  including farmers  about  various  ground  water  management  plans  including  crop-diversification  promoting efficient use of water in agriculture sector .

ICAR  suggests  diversifying  cropping  pattern  from  water  intensive  crops  to  pulses,  oilseeds, maize and agro-forestry. Further, the Central Agriculture Universities are promoting cultivation of less water-consuming crops by encouraging farmers to shift towards millets, pulses, and oilseeds, which are climate-resilient and  require significantly lower  water  compared to traditional water-intensive cereals. The Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) under the CAUs are conducting Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs) and training on pulses, oilseeds, and millets to popularize these crops, enhance productivity, and support diversification towards sustainable, low-water-use agriculture.

(c) Water Resources Projects are planned, funded, executed and maintained by the State Governments themselves  as  per  their  own  resources  and  priority.  Further,  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/programmes such as PMKSY, National Projects, Special Package, etc. The ERM (Extension, Renovation and Modernization) Projects which include modernization and maintenance of canals are also funded under PMKSY - Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP).

The  technological  interventions  and  innovative  measures  such  as  Underground  Pipeline  (UGPL) networks,  piped  distribution  networks  (PDN),  SCADA  based  water  distribution,  GIS/  Satellite-based monitoring,  Management  Information  Systems  (MIS),  micro  irrigation  etc.  are  being  promoted  under PMKSY to reduce conveyance losses, improve per-drop water productivity and enable micro-irrigation up to farm-gate. Underground Pipelines (UGPL) has been extensively used under PMKSY. The statewise details of UGPL in distribution networks are at Annexure-II .

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 803 TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 04.12.2025 REGARDING 'ADOPTION OF DRIP IRRIGATION AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM'.

## Details of Pilot Projects/Clusters under M-CADWM Scheme

| SN    | State / UT        | Cluster Name                                      | Cluster CCA (Ha) (approx.)   |
|-------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1.    | Andhra Pradesh    | Peddagedda Project WUA-3,4,5,6 Clusters           | 3,061                        |
| 2.    | Arunachal Pradesh | Dekam Rikmeng (Ledum Village)                     | 978                          |
| 3.    | Assam             | Singua FIS                                        | 1200                         |
| 4.    | Bihar             | Mahmadpur Badal (480)                             | 2,450                        |
| 5.    | Bihar             | Bangra- Kishunpur                                 | 2,195                        |
| 6.    | Chhattisgarh      | Bagiya                                            | 4831                         |
| 7.    | Goa               | Sal, Vadaval, Mencurem /Advalpal                  | 1,563                        |
| 8.    | Gujarat           | Mandvi-Mangrol Taluka Villages                    | 6,069                        |
| 9.    | Gujarat           | Pinchhavi                                         | 523                          |
| 10.   | Haryana           | Panihar-Choudhariwas                              | 4,950                        |
| 11.   | Himachal Pradesh  | Haroli Block,District Una                         | 4889                         |
| 12.   | Karnataka         | Distributary 54 9R of Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal | 2,600                        |
| 13.   | Karnataka         | Hattikuni                                         | 2,145                        |
| 14.   | Madhya Pradesh    | Gudariya                                          | 2,320                        |
| 15.   | Madhya Pradesh    | Netangaon                                         | 2,387                        |
| 16.   | Madhya Pradesh    | Bahuti PH2                                        | 3160                         |
| 17.   | Maharashtra       | Asoda Bhadali Branch canal of Waghur LBC          | 4996                         |
| 18.   | Manipur           | Pengjang                                          | 500                          |
| 19.   | Meghalaya         | Lyngkhoi FIP                                      | 170                          |
| 20.   | Mizoram           | Champhai Sub-Valley MCADCluster, Champhai         | 320                          |
| 21.   | Nagaland          | Mongleu Jalukie                                   | 200                          |
| 22.   | Odisha            | MCADCluster-V                                     | 3,180                        |
| 23.   | Punjab            | SBS Nagar                                         | 856                          |
| 24.   | Punjab            | Ludhiana, Malerkotla, Fatehgarh Sahib             | 1500                         |
| 25.   | Rajasthan         | Right Main Canal (RMC) of Bisalpur Project        | 5,000                        |
| 26.   | Tamil Nadu        | Palladam Extension canal                          | 4,989                        |
| 27.   | Tripura           | Brahmacherra                                      | 135                          |
| 28.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Bansgaon                                          | 224                          |
| 29.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Bargadwa                                          | 149                          |
| 30.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Jangal Gauri-I                                    | 152                          |
| 31.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Malaon &Majhagavan                                | 550                          |
| 32.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Prajapatipur                                      | 284                          |
| 33.   | Uttar Pradesh     | Rajdhani                                          | 790                          |
| 34.   | J&K               | Patyari                                           | 400                          |
| Total | Total             | Total                                             | 69,715                       |

## ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 803 TO BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  04.12.2025  REGARDING  'ADOPTION  OF  DRIP IRRIGATION AND SPRINKLER SYSTEM'.

Details of UGPL in distribution networks

| Sl. No.   | State            |   UGPL in distribution system (in Kmapprox.) |
|-----------|------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| 1         | Assam            |                                        64.29 |
| 2         | Goa              |                                        34.49 |
| 3         | Gujarat          |                                     35939.8  |
| 4         | Himachal Pradesh |                                       562    |
| 5         | Jharkhand        |                                      1901.7  |
| 6         | Madhya Pradesh   |                                       222.72 |
| 7         | Maharashtra      |                                      9209    |
| 8         | Manipur          |                                        75.87 |
| 9         | Odisha           |                                      1133.14 |
| 10        | Punjab           |                                      1443.72 |
| 11        | Rajasthan        |                                     18594.1  |
| Total     | Total            |                                     69180.9  |

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