Shimla: A high-level review meeting on the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was held under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Jal Shakti C.R Patil.
Secretary, Jal Shakti Vibhag, Dr. Abhishek Jain attended and presented the state’s progress, challenges and future requirements. Dr. Abhishek Jain apprised that under the Surface Minor Irrigation (SMI) programme, 149 out of 169 schemes have been completed, while 20 schemes are currently under execution. He said that the department is working with commitment and dedication to complete the remaining works in a time-bound manner, subject to timely release of funds.
He further highlighted that PMKSY interventions in Himachal Pradesh are critical under the ‘Har Khet Ko Pani’ component, given the state’s dependency on small irrigation structures due to hilly terrain. These schemes are directly contributing to enhancing irrigation potential in remote and rain-fed areas.
Highlighting state-specific challenges, he apprised that nearly 66 percent of Himachal Pradesh falls under forest land, requiring clearances under FRA and FCA, which leads to significant delays in execution. He said that extreme rainfall events in 2023 and 2025 caused large-scale damage, affecting both completed and ongoing irrigation schemes and necessitating redesigning, slope stabilization measures and fresh land acquisition.
He added that these repeated climate-induced disruptions underline the need for climate-resilient and disaster-adaptive irrigation infrastructure in hill states like Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. Jain also apprised about infrastructure losses, including damage to 6 completed SMI schemes and 6 ongoing schemes, which has further impacted project timelines.
Given the difficult terrain, disaster vulnerability, and rising implementation costs, he requested revision of per-hectare cost norms from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 6 lakh to ensure realistic project execution. He also sought Central Assistance of Rs. 60.41 crore for SMI (111, 14 and 4 categories) schemes and approval of new proposals worth Rs. 273.78 crore under MIS. Additionally, he requested extension of timelines for ongoing projects to ensure quality execution in difficult field conditions.
The Union Minister appreciated the role of irrigation schemes in improving rural livelihoods, promoting cash crop cultivation and reducing migration from rural areas and assured that the concerns raised by Himachal Pradesh would be given due and sympathetic consideration.
