Bhubaneswar: The State Government on Tuesday approved the Micro Irrigation Action Plan of around Rs 531 crore under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) for the financial year 2022-23.
The State Level Sanctioning Committee on Micro Irrigation has approved the Action Plan. The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra in digital mode from Lokseba Bhawan
This fund would be invested for promotion of vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, coconut and plantation of fruit species over one lakh hectare high and medium land with micro irrigation sprinkler, drip HDPE pipe and pump sets methods of irrigation.
During the last year of 2021-22, the State had invested around Rs 62 crore for prompting sprinkler and drip methods of irrigation with the outcome of 31,038 hectares of medium and high land being brought under irrigation. Sprinkler irrigation was found more popular among the farmers, officials said.
It may be pertinent here to mention that PMKSY is being implemented in the State with funding support from both the Central and State Government.
Substantial subsidy on cost of these micro irrigation implements is available to farmers on these micro irrigation implements. The subsidy varies from 80 to 60 percent depending on the social category of the farmers viz. ST and SC, small and marginal, and general.
Reviewing the progress made so far, Mahapatra directed a detailed study on production and requirement of the fruits and vegetables like mango, guava, papaya, lemon, onion and tomato in the State.
He asked the directorate of horticulture to enhance production of these crops through a definite action plan, and popularization of micro irrigation.
The directorate was also asked to work in tandem with the Water Resources Department for intensifying micro-irrigation interventions in ayacut areas of different irrigation projects.
Mahapatra said that popularization of sprinklers and drip methods would optimize the use of water. These methods while enhancing efficiency of the ayacht area and sustainability of irrigation sources will also increase productivity of the land.
Further, the Chief Secretary asked the horticulture directorate to promote sprinkler, drip and HDPE pipe schemes among the farmers having their land near bore wells, deep-well and minor irrigation points.
Special Secretary Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Sri Sanjeeb Chadha appraised that following earlier instructions of Chief Secretary, cluster approach was adopted for promotion of banana, guava and papaya in the districts like Barhargh, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Angul, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Boudh, Jajpur and Nayagarh.
A total of around 1015 hectares in these districts have been brought under such fruit crops in the year 2021-22. Target was fixed to promote these crops over more 1260 hectares during the current year.
Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commission Sanjeev Chopra, Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Ashok Kumar Meena, Principal Secretary Finance, Vishal Kumar Dev, Special Secretary Water Resources, Archana Patnaik, Special Secretary Agriculture, Sanjib Chadha along with senior officers of concerned departments participated in the discussions.