The irrigation sector plays a pivotal role in India’s agricultural landscape, enabling food security, enhancing climate resilience and stabilising farm incomes. Strengthening the sector by constructing adequate infrastructure, modernising irrigation systems and ensuring sustainable water management is of paramount importance to bolster agricultural productivity. In line with this, the Indian government is implementing targeted programmes and schemes to incentivise water-efficient irrigation practices.
The key umbrella government scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY), is facilitating steady sector progress through the enhancement of irrigation practices and the adoption of innovative methods under diverse components and sub-schemes. The Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) was initially a component of PMKSY, but since 2022-23, it has been implemented under Rashtra Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). PDMC aims to strengthen and incentivise micro-irrigation projects. Together, these components and sub-schemes intend to improve physical access to water, expand cultivable area having reliable water supply, strengthen water use efficiency on farms, modernise irrigation practices through the use of technologies and disburse financial incentives to help farmers adopt sustainable irrigation.
PMKSY
PMKSY was launched in 2015 with an aim to improve water use efficiency and expand irrigation coverage. To catalyse the efficient completion of projects, the physical and financial progress of projects is monitored regularly by bodies such as the Central Water Commission and NITI Aayog. Initiatives under PMKSY’s components, such as the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP), Watershed Development Component (WDC), and Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM) aim to boost different aspects of irrigation.
AIBP
The AIBP component under PMKSY endeavours to expedite the completion of ongoing irrigation projects, thereby boosting irrigation benefits for farmers and enhancing water security. As of December 2024, of the total 99 ongoing priority major and medium irrigation projects recognised by AIBP in 2016-17, 62 projects have been completed. Of these completed projects, Madhya Pradesh has the highest share with 17 projects, followed by Maharashtra (16 projects) and Odisha (five projects). Besides, 53 projects are ongoing under the programme.
Further, from 2019-20 to 2023-24, a central assistance of Rs 37.15 billion has been released to states, while an irrigation potential of 470,160 hectares has been created under the scheme through various irrigation projects.
Projects under this component are steadily progressing, with a new pipeline of initiatives under way. In a related development, on March 28, 2025, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the inclusion of Bihar’s Kosi Mechi Intra-State Link Project under PMKSY-AIBP. Central assistance of Rs 36.53 billion has been approved with a target to complete the project worth Rs 62.82 billion by March 2029. The project is expected to provide 210,516 hectares of additional annual irrigation in the Kharif season in Araria, Purnea, Kishanganj and Katihar districts of Bihar.
HKKP
The HKKP is a flagship component of PMKSY, aiming to provide water to all farms. Under HKKP, between 2016-17 and 2023-24, an irrigation potential of 354,000 hectares and 109,000 hectares were created across 21 states under the surface minor irrigation (SMI) and repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies components, respectively. SMI projects are crucial for regions with limited access to groundwater, with advantages such as low costs and quicker implementation. They utilise surface water sources such as canals, check dams and other water management structures for irrigation. These projects have been picking up pace across various states in recent times. For example, as of April 2025, construction of 50 SMI projects, including check dams, barrages and harbours covering about 2,244 hectares of land, have been approved by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in Dharwad, Karnataka, under PMKSY-HKKP.
WDC
This component under PMKSY focuses on integrated watershed management to improve water availability, enhance soil health and increase crop productivity in rain-fed regions. Implementation under this component is witnessing steady progress, with state governments initiating various projects to strengthen water conservation measures. To this end, recently, the Madhya Pradesh government planned the construction of 50,000 farm ponds in the state for irrigation purposes. These ponds are small reservoirs or water storage tanks used to collect and store rainwater for various farming purposes. They offer numerous advantages, such as increasing crop yields and improving soil health.
CADWM
The CADWM programme focuses on bridging the gap between created and utilised irrigation potential, ultimately improving agricultural production in a sustainable manner. Under the programme, there has been an increasing impetus on the adoption of technological interventions to improve the efficiency of irrigation. In line with this, on April 9, 2025, the Modernisation of CADWM was approved as a sub-scheme of PMKSY. The initial total outlay of the scheme for the period 2025-26 is Rs 16 billion. The sub-scheme intends to overhaul and modernise the irrigation water supply network in a designated cluster. It aims to deploy supervisory control and data acquisition, internet of things (IoT), etc., for water accounting and management. Further, the sub-scheme is expected to construct resilient backend infrastructure for micro-irrigation from the established water source to farm gates up to 1 hectare, with underground pressurised piped irrigation.
Under the sub-scheme, irrigation projects will be made sustainable by transferring the management of irrigation assets to water user societies. These societies will be guided and supported for five years to link with economic entities like the Farmers Producers Organisation. Initially, pilot projects will be undertaken across the country, and the states are expected to compete to receive funding for specific project proposals. Valuable insights on the design and structuring of advanced technology-based irrigation methods will be incorporated in the National Plan for Command Area Development and Water Management, expected to be launched in April 2026.
PDMC under RKVY
RKVY is a comprehensive scheme focusing on the overall development of the agriculture and allied sectors in the country. Under it, the PDMC primarily focuses on water-efficient micro-irrigation systems (MIS) to boost agricultural productivity.
MIS involves the use of drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and others. Due to its benefits, such as uniform water distribution and minimal water wastage, PDMC focuses on enhancing its adoption. In 2024-25, an area of 832,000 hectares has been covered under MIS. The drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to crops through a network of related infrastructure such as pipes, tubes and emitters, while sprinkler systems spray water over a larger-spread of area. Marking progress in 2024-25, an area of around 309,811 hectares has been covered by drip irrigation systems and 148.42 hectares has been covered by sprinkler irrigation systems. To incentivise a wider adoption of MIS, financial assistance is being provided to farmers under the scheme. This covers the installation of MIS at 55 per cent and 45 per cent of the unit cost to small and marginal farmers and other farmers, respectively.
The way ahead
With the increasing focus on modernising irrigation systems, water efficiency outcomes are expected to improve, paving way for sustainable irrigation in the country. Further, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as precision irrigation and IoT to optimise water use, promote water harvesting through rainwater collection and watershed management, and create awareness about the usage of treated water is expected to make the sector climate-resilient in the long-run.
Initiatives such as the irrigation census, regular monitoring and evaluation are also crucial to assess the impact of schemes and programmes and take data-driven decisions. As a stepping stone for maintaining accurate and reliable data of irrigation activities and tracking them, the Water Resource Census Application and Portal was launched in April 2025. This initiative is expected to aid in undertaking the Seventh Minor Irrigation Census and the First Census of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects. This portal will facilitate effective planning and policy-making, reinforcing impactful government interventions and a positive outlook for the sector.
