NEW DELHI: PM Modi-led cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) approved the “modernisation of command area development and water management (M-CADWM)” as a sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2025-2026 with an initial total outlay of Rs1,600 crore. The projects will be made sustainable by irrigation management transfer (IMT) to the water user society (WUS) for management of irrigation assets.
“WUS will be given handholding support for linking them with existing Economic Entities like FPO or PACS for five years. Youth will also be attracted to farming, to adopt the modern method of irrigation. The initial approval is for taking up pilot projects across various agroclimatic zones in the country by challenge funding to the states. Based on the learning’s in design and structuring of these projects, National Plan for Command Area Development and Water Management will be launched starting from April 2026 for the 16th Finance Commission period,” Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
The scheme aims for modernisation of the irrigation water supply network to supply of irrigation water from existing canals or other sources in a designated cluster. “It will make robust backend infrastructure for micro-irrigation by farmers from established source to the Farm gate upto 1 Ha with underground pressurized piped irrigation. The use of SCADA, Internet of things technology will be used for water accounting and water management. This will increase the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) at the farm level, increase agriculture production & productivity; and thereby increase the income of farmers,” Vaishnaw added.