Rs 478 crore for irrigation scheme in Tamil Nadu

Chennai

So far, Micro Irrigation Funds have been released to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for Rs 616.14 crore and for Rs 478.79 crore, respectively through NABARD. The area covered under these projects is 1.021 lakh ha. in Andhra Pradesh and 1.76 lakh ha. in Tamil Nadu, an official release said.

It said that the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare is implementing the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC).

The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems. Drip micro irrigation technique not only helps in water saving but also in reducing fertiliser usage, labour expenses and other input costs.

For the current year, annual allotment of Rs 4,000 crore has already been allocated and conveyed to the state governments. The State governments have identified the beneficiaries to be covered under the programme. Further, Micro Irrigation Fund corpus of Rs 5,000 crore has been created with NABARD.