Soon, water deficit areas to have micro-irrigation plants

Box– Other decisions

* The meeting, held under the chairmanship of CM Manohar Lal Khattar, decided to ensure 30% component of micro irrigation in MICADA works expenditure, with 10% progressive increase every year.

*A subsidy scheme will be formulated to set up water tanks on farmers’ land for crops, on the lines of Horticulture Department. Besides, the work for rehabilitation of watercourses will be transferred from the Department of Irrigation and Water Resources to MICADA.

* It was also decided that MICADA will formulate a ‘Watercourse Construction Policy’ to further promote micro irrigation in the state. Ancillary agriculture tariff will be applicable for power consumption and demand driven approach will be taken instead of supply driven.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 13

The Haryana Government has decided to restructure and redesignate the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) as Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority (MICADA) for effective implementation of micro irrigation projects, especially in water deficient areas, along with watercourses work on various canal commands.

This, and several other decisions, were taken in a meeting regarding restructuring CADA, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today.

He said the aim of his government had been to ensure optimum and effective utilisation of available water resources. He directed that while implementing the micro irrigation projects, priority should be given to the areas having scarcity of water. Apart from this, farmers should be educated about its benefits so as to encourage them to adopt micro irrigation techniques to conserve water.

It was decided in the meeting to ensure 30 per cent component of micro irrigation in MICADA works expenditure, with 10 per cent progressive increase every year. A decision was also taken to formulate a subsidy scheme to set up water tanks on farmers’ land for crops, on the lines of Horticulture Department. Besides, the work for the rehabilitation of watercourses would be transferred from the Department of Irrigation and Water Resources to MICADA.

It was also decided that MICADA would formulate a ‘Watercourse Construction Policy’ to further promote micro irrigation in the state. Ancillary agriculture tariff would be applicable for power consumption in such projects and for their successful and effective implementation, demand driven approach would be taken instead of supply driven.

A decision was also taken in the meeting that micro irrigation-based demonstration farms would be established to keep farmers abreast with latest agriculture techniques and motivate them to adopt micro irrigation projects to conserve water.