Ovaise Gul
Srinagar, May 21: Farmers in Jammu and Kashmir are set to receive enhanced support for adoption of micro-irrigation systems under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Per Drop More Crop (PMRKVY-PDMC) scheme, with the Union Territory being accorded special incentives as a Himalayan region.
According to the annual report by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Jammu and Kashmir has been placed among Himalayan States and Union Territories eligible for 25 per cent higher unit cost assistance for installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems to promote wider adoption of water-efficient farming practices.
The report states that under the PMRKVY-PDMC scheme, small and marginal farmers are provided financial assistance of 55 per cent for installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems, while other farmers receive 45 per cent assistance. Additional top-up subsidies are also being provided by some states and Union Territories to encourage farmers to shift towards micro-irrigation.
The assistance under the scheme is available for up to five hectares per beneficiary with a subsidy cycle of seven years.
The scheme promotes two major activities, including drip irrigation, which supplies water directly to the root zone through emitters attached to lateral pipes and sprinkler irrigation, where water is sprayed under pressure through nozzles connected to a network of pipes.
The Centre has highlighted that micro-irrigation helps conserve water, reduce fertiliser consumption through fertigation, lower labour and input costs, improve soil health and enhance farmers’ income.
The report further states that Jammu and Kashmir, along with other Himalayan and northeastern regions, can utilise up to 40 per cent of allocated funds for water storage, water conservation and other intervention activities linked to micro-irrigation projects. These interventions are aimed at strengthening water-use efficiency and improving irrigation infrastructure in water-stressed areas.
Support is also being extended for automation in micro-irrigation systems to minimise manual intervention and improve operational efficiency for farmers across the Union Territory.
