The government on Wednesday approved the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) as a sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) with an initial outlay of Rs 1,600 crore in FY26.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated that Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT) will be implemented to make the projects sustainable. Under this model, irrigation asset management will be handed over to Water User Societies (WUS).
To ensure smooth functioning, WUS will receive five years of handholding support, linking them with existing economic entities like Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) or Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
The scheme also aims to attract youth to agriculture by encouraging the adoption of modern irrigation methods. According to the Cabinet statement, the scheme will focus on modernising irrigation water supply networks, ensuring water reaches farms from existing canals or other sources in a designated cluster.
It will also help build robust backend infrastructure for micro-irrigation systems, delivering water from the source to farm gates — covering up to 1 hectare via underground pressurised piped irrigation.
SCADA systems and Internet of Things (IoT) technology will be used for water accounting and management, thereby improving Water Use Efficiency (WUE), increasing agricultural productivity, and enhancing farmers’ income.
Initially, pilot projects will be rolled out across various agroclimatic zones under a challenge-based funding mechanism for states. Based on learnings from these pilots, the National Plan for Command Area Development and Water Management will be launched in April 2026, aligned with the 16th Finance Commission period.
In a related development, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) last month approved the inclusion of the Kosi-Mechi Intra-State Link Project of Bihar under PMKSY-Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP). The CCEA also sanctioned central support of ₹3,652.56 crore for its completion by March 2029, against a total estimated cost of ₹6,282.32 crore.
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