Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yoiana

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a new scheme the “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana” (PMKSY). It will have an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore over a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). The allocation for the current financial year is Rs. 5300 crore.

The major objective of the PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani), improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system. The scheme also aims at bringing concerned Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Research and Financial Institutions engaged in creation/use/recycling/potential recycling of water, brought under a common platform, so that a comprehensive and holistic view of the entire "water cycle" is taken into account and proper water budgeting is done for all sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries.

The programme architecture of PMKSY aims at a 'decentralized State level planning and execution' structure, in order to allow States to draw up a District Irrigation Plan (DIP) and a State Irrigation Plan (SIP). DIP will have holistic developmental perspective of the district outlining medium to long term developmental plans integrating three components namely, water sources, distribution network and water use application of the district to be prepared at two levels - the block and the district. All structures created under the schemes will be geotagged.

The programme will be supervised and monitored at the national level by an Inter-Ministerial National Steering Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister with Union Ministers of all concerned Ministries. A National Executive Committee (NEC) is to be constituted under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog to oversee programme implementation, allocation of resources, inter ministerial coordination, monitoring and performance assessment, addressing administrative issues etc. At the state level the scheme is to be administered by a State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) to be Chaired by the Chief Secretary of the respective States. The committee will have all authority to sanction the project and also monitor the progress of the scheme. At the district level their shall be a district level implementation committee for ensuring last mile coordination a the field level.

It is expected that PMKSY will provide convergence to existing schemes of water management, thus bringing efficiency to the use of water.

Background:

In the last one year, the Government of India has taken several farmer friendly initiatives. These, amongst other things, include the following:


• A new scheme has been introduced to issue a Soil Health Card to every farmer. Soil Health Management in the country is being promoted through setting up of soil and fertilizer testing laboratories. 34 lakh soil samples has been collected and analysis is continuing.


• A new scheme for promoting organic farming "Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana" has been launched to promote organic farming.


• A dedicated Kisan Channel has been started by Doordarshan to address various issues concerning farmers.


• Government is also encouraging formation of Farmer Producer organizations.


• Assistance to farmers, as input subsidy, has been increased by 50 percent in case of natural calamities.


• Norms have been relaxed to provide assistance from previous norm of crop loss of more than 50 percent to 33 percent to farmers afflicted by natural calamities.


• Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various Kharif crops has been increased. Bonus of Rs.200 per quintal has been announced for pulses. Area coverage under pulses has increased over the last year.


Taking it further, today the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister has given its approval to two new schemes in agriculture sector. These are the PMKSY and Promotion of National Agriculture Market.

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Top Travel Destinations for Monsoons in India

There are some beautiful destinations that you can visit during the monsoons in India. June to September are the months of monsoons in India. In these places monsoons add more beauty to the places and bring life into them. Eager to know them, let us look at them.

1. Coorg: This is located in Karnataka, and is in the borders of Mysore. If you are planning Honeymoon in Monsoon then this is the best place to visit. The weather is cold and the beautiful locations in and around it is just breath taking. The beautiful and Holy Cauvery river and the beautiful mountains surrounded by mist and fog, are a must see.

2. Lahaul & Spiti: This is in Himachal Pradesh and shares its borders with Tibet. The major places of interest are ancient forts, monasteries, rivers forests, mountains, and valleys. This is a perfect place for mountaineers, and people who seek adventures, this place is full of beautiful scenery and breath taking views.

3. Goa: The land of sun, sand and sea, is one of the best places to visit. Its spectacular scenic beauty, colorful beaches, beautiful lakes, rivers, water sports and beautiful architectural work make this place paradise. One of the most important reasons that should make you visit this place during the monsoon is the list of festivals during this season. They are Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Sao- Joao, Bonderam flag festival, and Ganesh Chaturthi. Wild Life sanctuary, National Park, Dudh Sagar falls and the beautiful Mondovi River are other places to visit.

4. Rajasthan: This is located in North India, and Jaipur the pink city is the state capital. Tourists come here attracted by its beautiful Royal Palaces, forts and their history. The beautiful Mount Abu and Chambal River are located here. Monsoon is the best time visit Rajasthan, as all the rivers will be full, and the weather becomes cool.

5. Ladakh: Ladakh is a plateau and Leh is its capital. This is a separate province of Jammu and Kashmir. This place is full of glorious and unpolluted beauty and there are many Buddhist monasteries in this place.

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Top 12 Health Tips for Rainy Season

As there are do’s and don’ts for any season, there are also some health precautions that you have to take in rainy season. Because in rainy season our body under goes some changes like lower immunity, lower digestive power and decrease in body strength.

As far as possible one should avoid oily foods, heavy foods that are hard to digest and foods that are frozen. Instead of these foods it is preferable to take food that are easily digestible. Apart from these there are some other tips that will help us stay healthy during the rainy season let us look at them.

1. It is best to take bath with hot water instead of cold water during the rainy season.

2. It is always best to wear slippers at home during the rainy season.

3. As far as possible avoid eating outside food.

4. Wash your hands frequently with hand wash, and as far as possible when your hands are not clean do not touch your face.
5. It is best to wear full dress that covers the body entirely during the rainy season.

6. It will be more beneficial if we drink warm water during the rainy season, instead of normal water.

7. We should make sure that there is enough physical activity if it is not there you should exercise regularly.

8. Avoid drinking water that is not filtered and also avoid coming in direct contact with dirty water.

9. If by any chance you get wet in the rain make sure that you dry yourself at the earliest possible, even if your hair gets wet instead of leaving it like that dry it immediately.

10. Make sure that you maintain a minimum of two to three hours gap between having food and going to bed. In other words do not sleep immediately as soon as you have your food. Involve yourself in some activity.

11. Instead of drinking normal tea, add some ginger to it and have it. This will help you to keep away cold that is quite common in rainy season.

12. Keep mosquitoes and flies away from your home or another place. Make sure that the house or office is clean and use mosquito and insect repellents.

Well prevention is always better than cure, so, try to follow these simple and healthy tips to stay fit and active and what else, enjoy the beauties of rainy season.

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