Resource detail

Micro-irrigation projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), critical to making India drought-proof and producing “more crop per drop”, have steadily met targets since the launch of the scheme by the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government in 2015, according to a recent review. An analysis of the mission shows only a handful of states account for the overall leap. PMKSY is aimed at boosting investment in irrigation and improving efficiency of water use. India’s current irrigation coverage of 48.7% of total sown area means two-quarters of the population engaged in farming are dependent on monsoon rainfall, which often exacerbates agrarian distress even during a partial drought. At the national level, coverage of micro-irrigation networks beat its target for 2015-16: 572,000 hectares against a target of 500,000 hectares. In 2016-17, the coverage was 839,000 hectares against a target of 800,000 hectares.