Concrete and effective efforts of double engine government ensuring Har Khet Ko Paani in Himachal
The double engine government of the Centre and the State, working with the basic mantra of Sarv Sankalp Se Shat- Pratishat Sidhi, has ensured speedy and timely implementation of the revolutionary schemes operating in the agriculture sector. Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, the present State government is running many ambitious schemes and programs for the betterment of the agriculture sector and to strengthen the socio-economic condition of the farmers. A provision of Rs. 628.52 crore has been made for the agriculture sector in the current financial year.
About 80 percent of the agricultural area of the state is rain fed. In order to provide irrigation facilities to the farmers in the state, the government has implemented schemes like Flow Irrigation Scheme, Efficient Irrigation Scheme through Micro Irrigation, Jal Se Krishi Ka Bal, construction of Lift Irrigation Scheme and Borewell etc.
The State government has started a new scheme named HIMCAD under the state sector to bridge the gap between the irrigation potential created and the irrigation potential to be utilized. This will provide end-to-end connectivity of farmers' fields for better water conservation, crop diversification and integrated farming. Under the scheme, an area of 15,242 hectares of 274 completed minor irrigation schemes has been brought under Command Area Development (CAD) activities till March, 2020 by spending Rs. 128.40 crore.
Under the scheme, to provide Command Area Development activities to 23,344 hectares of Cultivable Command Area (CCA) by March 2024, the State Technical Advisory Committee has approved 379 completed Minor Irrigation Schemes worth Rs. 305.70 crore. The development work of these schemes is in various stages.
The State Technical Advisory Committee of Jal Shakti Department has approved a new self of 168 schemes for command area development activities in 9300.52 hectare cultivable command area for the financial year 2022-23 to 2024-25 at an estimated cost of Rs.134.38 crore. Out of these 168 schemes, for the year 2022-23, a self of 70 schemes at an estimated cost of Rs. 46.59 crore have been approved by the State government, which will give impetus to Command Area Development activities in 3487.30 hectares of land.
Apart from this, the farmers of Himachal are also getting the benefits of centrally sponsored schemes. Agriculture facilities will be provided to 17,880.86 hectares of land through 111 minor irrigation schemes with an estimated cost of Rs. 338.1846 crore under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). Himachal Pradesh has received central assistance of Rs 291.62 crore under the PMKSY.
Apart from this, the Central Government has approved a self worth Rs. 378.99 crore of 14 minor irrigation schemes, which will provide facilities to 9665.18 hectares of land. For this, central assistance of Rs 17.05 crore has been released in March 2022. The central government has released central assistance of Rs 74.81 crore for other minor irrigation schemes SELF and their development work is in various stages, so that about 3534.09 hectares of land will be provided agricultural facilities. In order to provide agricultural facilities to 11867.07 hectares of land in the state, 36 small schemes worth Rs.329.74 crores have been approved for funding Har Khet ko Pani component of PMKSY.
The major objective of PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More Crop per Drop) enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal waste water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system.
The State has 9.44 lakh hectares of land under cultivation. The State government is determined to provide benefits of various development programs and modern technology to the farmer families. Natural resources like land and water are being exploited in such a way that the economic upliftment of the farmers can be ensured by adopting environmental protection.