DEPARTMENT OF SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION, PUNJAB

SALIENT FEATURES OF MICRO IRRIGATION SCHEME

The Drip Irrigation includes all emitting devices like drippers, micro sprinklers, mini sprinklers, micro jets, misters, fan jets, micro sprayers, foggers & emitting pipes. it is suitable on crops usually grown in rows. the sprinkler irrigation include over head sprinkler which sprinkles water in form of rainfall. it is suitable on flows density crops.

• Total 75% subsidy is provided on Drip & Sprinkler Irrigation Systems. Of Which 50% subsidy is provided by Govt. Of India & 25% subsidy is provided by Govt. of Punjab

• The subsidy on demonstration plots of the size of 0.5 hectares is 75%

• The assistance for demonstration can be given to State, Central Govt. farms, State Agriculture Universities, ICAR, Progressive Farmers & NGO’s

• It covers all crops (fruits, vegetables, medicinal, ornamental & aromatic plants & all other cereal crops, pulses, oilseeds etc

• The scheme is applicable in all the districts of Punjab.

• The maximum area for subsidy is 5 hect. per beneficiary

• All installations invoiced and installed during 2005-06 are eligible for GOI’s assistance

• Cooperative Societies/ Self Help Groups/ Incorporated Companies are entitled for assistance on behalf of its members. in such cases individual beneficiary will receive assistance through Cooperative Society/SHG/Incorporated company and not directly

.STATE GOVERNMENT ADDITITIONAL SUBSIDY

· The State Govt. gives additional 25% subsidy over and above the GOI’s 50% subsidy.

· The State Govt. subsidy will be available on all the installations invoiced & installed w.e.f. 1-4-2007

· The subsidy will be available if the installation is done by any of the suppliers/manufacturer, registered by State Govt.

· 15 nos. suppliers/ manufacturers already registered for Micro Irrigation and 10 nos suppliers/manufacturers are registered for sprinkler irrigation. The list of registered firms is available on this website

· The registered firms will provide after sales service for at least 3 years after the installation

· In the Drip Irrigation system, Screen Filter and Ventury are essential items and sand filter is optional item

ASSISTANCE ON INDIVIUAL ON-FARM WATER STORAGE TANKS

For providing assured irrigation water for Drip/Micro-Sprinkler & Sprinkler Irrigation systems in the canal command areas of the state, subsidy @50% of the cost, limited to Rs. 1.00Lacs per Tank per individual farmer is provided to the farmers for construction of On-farm water storage tanks(brick-lined) of an average capacity of 25lakh litres (Size 32mX 29mX 3m).

ASSISTANCE ON COMMUNITY WATER STORAGE TANKS

Under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), subsidy @ 100% of the cost, limited to Rs. 10.00 lakh per tank for 10 hectares(proportionate to area), is provided to Groups of farmers (four or more than two farmers) for construction of On-farm Water Storage Tanks (brick-lined with Poly Sheet) of an average capacity of 50 lakh litres for providing assured irrigation water for Horticulture crops on for Drip/Micro-Sprinkler & Sprinkler Irrigation Systems.

LIST OF ASSISTANCE FOR DIFFERENT AREAS

	Spacing	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF	GOI	State Govt Under RIDF
		(0.4 ha)		(I ha)		(2 ha)		(3ha)		(4 ha)		(5 ha)
	12x12	6095	3047	9603	4801	14490	7245	18745	9372	30878	15439	40998	20499
	10x10	6958	3479	10350	5175	15928	7964	20700	10350	33293	16646	44218	22109
	9x9	7130	3565	12708	6354	20413	10206	32143	16071	35305	17652	46633	23316
	8x8	7418	3709	11443	5721	17998	8999	23978	11989	37663	18831	49565	24782
	6x6	8280	4140	17365	8682	29440	14720	40423	20211	60835	30417	79005	39502
	5x5	8683	4341	18860	9430	32545	16272	47783	23891	67333	33666	86710	43355
	4x4	9718	4859	22598	11299	36283	18141	57903	28951	81765	40882	103098	51549
	3x3	10293	5146	20470	10235	41055	20527	55258	27629	75210	37605	91023	45511
	3x1.5	11328	5664	23115	11557	46288	23144	63078	31539	84008	42004	104018	52009
	2.5x2.5	11500	5750	22885	11442	46805	23402	63940	31970	114713	57356	137770	68885
	2x2	12248	6124	28635	14317	49680	24840	70553	35276	94818	47409	128455	64227
	1.5x1.5	15008	7504	31625	15812	62963	31481	94933	47466	118393	59196	161575	80787
	1x1	15238	7619	33120	16560	55488	27744	84238	42119	114943	57471	143290	71645
Indicative	0.5x0.5	15238	27885	33120	60630	55408	101543	84238	154207	114043	210346	143290	262226

STATUS AND SCOPE OF DRIP AND MICRO IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN PUNJAB

Drip and Micro Irrigation System were introduced in the State from the year 1992-93 under Centrally Sponsored Scheme. In the State of Punjab, Soil and Water Conservation Department was made the nodal department for implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Drip Irrigation System. In the earlier years, it was a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which subsidy level to the farmers was up to 90% for Scheduled Caste farmers & Women and 70% for General Category farmers. The subsidy was later on reduced to 50% for Scheduled Caste farmers & Women and 35% to General Category farmers, which has now been further reduced to 25 % to all the farmers from the last year. 

The Micro Irrigation System, which includes Drip Irrigation, Micro Sprinkler Irrigation and other emitting devices which discharges irrigation water at a controlled rate and is applied directly to the root zone of the plants. It increases the productivity by 30 to 100% with 50 to 70% saving of water in various crops.  Till now 4247 hectares area has been covered under these systems in Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ropar and Sangrur Districts. The main fruits crops are Kinnow, Grapes, Litchi etc. and the vegetable crops are Potato & Tomato. 

It is true that promotion of Micro Irrigation in the State of Punjab has not been up to the desired level. The State is facing very serious problem of depletion of Ground Water Resources and Conservation of irrigation water is of utmost importance. The department has made efforts in the past to promote Micro Irrigation on the horticulture crops during the last 10 years. However the success in this direction is not satisfactory. The State has about one lac hectare area under Vegetable crops and about 0.40 lac hectares area under horticulture crops. Only 4247 hectares area could be covered under Drip and Micro Irrigation System till now. The main reason for slow pick-up is less/non-release and delayed release of funds. Since the Year 1992-93, Only Rs. 482.50 Lakhs could be spent against an allocation of Rs. 808.57 Lacs. Due to the poor performance of the State Govt. in release of funds, the GOI has restricted any further fresh release of funds under the scheme. As per latest instructions of GOI, the permissible carry over of unspent balance (pertaining to the financial year 2003-04) would be 15% of the annual allocation. For the Year 2004-05, there is a provision of Rs. 44.35 Lacs of GOI funds under the scheme Efficient Use of Irrigation for Drip & Micro Irrigation systems. Also, the new funds will be released by GOI only after the utilization of unspent balance of previous years and the release of state share @10%. The following recommendations/suggestions are presented to boost the coverage of area under Drip and Micro Irrigation in the state

1.            The easy availability of Interest-free Loan to the farmers is more beneficial than the subsidies. However, in case Interest-free Loan is not possible, the subsidy rate should be increased to at least 50% as these systems are expensive. Also, the ceiling on land & amount for subsidy must be abolished.

2.           For successful and wide-spread diversification of agriculture in the state, the installation of Drip and Micro systems should be made an integral part of the programme by providing special assistance in the form of subsidies and interest-free loans.

3.           There is a tendency amongst farmers to get the Micro-irrigation system installed from the unapproved firms without intimating the Department. When the system fails after some time of operation due to substandard components, the farmers lay blame on the department officials. To avoid such hardship to the farmers, there should be a blanket ban on the unapproved firms in the state. 

4.            The components like Water Storage Tanks, Electric Motors and Pump Sets should also be part of the system and should be included in the loan component and subsidy to be given.

5.             Electric Connection priority and assured continuous power supply for at least 8 hours a day must be available.

6.            Continuous Research and Technological Support should be given for region & crop specific recommendations. Some R&D system must be developed at the Government of India level or the State Universities level to make recommendations regarding Drip/ Micro Sprinkler Irrigation System.

7.            The Implementing Agency Staff should be having a sound technical knowledge. Frequent training of staff at the State and Central level institutions must be done regularly.

8.            The maintenance of the system after installation and training of the farmers regarding the same must also be assured so that the system works regularly without interruption. The firms supplying the system must be made responsible for the maintenance and supply of spares.

9.            The marketing of the produce and its processing in the region itself is also very important and a marketing network & assured minimum price support must be given. As the fruits, vegetables and other such products are having short shelf life and are perishable, hence their processing within the transportation range must be assured.

10.           To reduce the high cost to some extent, tax exemption on the Drip Irrigation System must be given.

11.           The progressive farmers from the State of Punjab must be included in the consultations at various levels and meetings of the TFM.

12.           The Punjab State should get more budgetary support as there is lot of scope for extension of the Drip/ Micro Irrigation Schemes in the State.

13.           Region & climatic specific Demonstration of the system must be developed to demonstrate the successful implementation of the Drip/ Micro Irrigation Systems.

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