The first training program on Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna(PMKSY) for All India Services Officers (IAS/IFS) was held at National Water Academy(NWA), Pune on Monday.
The Training Programme was inaugurated by Dr. D.K. Jain, Additional Chief Secretary in Government of Maharashtra and Dr Amita Prasad, Joint Secretary in Govt of India delivered the key Note Address.
Dr Sanjeev Chopra, Joint Secretary gave the overview of the PMKSY and the expectation from PMKSY. He also released the Training Manual and Reading Materials on PMKSY for District Irrigation Plan (DIP) under the recently launched Central Scheme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY). It has been decided to organize Training Programs for all India Services Officers (IAS/IFS) of recent three Batches.
The National water Academy (NWA) has been designated as Resource Institute for organizing the first Training programs of the series with Western States of the country namely from Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Rajasthan States, Wherein about 20 IAS/IFS officers are participating.
In the key Note Speech, Dr. Amita Prasad stressed the need for new ways of irrigation practices, keeping in view the Pressure on water resources and reviving some traditional water conservation practices, if they prove beneficial. Dr Jain stressed on the water use and efficiency and crop change to judiciously use the scarce water resources.
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 peril-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system.