The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the inclusion of the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project of Uttarakhand under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP), which will cost Rs 2,584 crore.

Highlights of the project:

• The project envisages the construction of a dam near Jamrani village across river Gola, a tributary of river Ramganga, in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. 

• The dam will feed the existing Gola barrage through its 40.5 km length of canal system and 244 km long canal system completed in 1981.

• The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2028.

• The project envisages additional irrigation of 57,065 hectares (9,458 hectares in Uttarakhand and 47,607 hectares in Uttar Pradesh) in Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand, and Rampur and Bareilly districts in Uttar Pradesh. 

• Apart from the construction of two new feeder canals, 207 km of existing canals are to be renovated, and 278 km of pucca field channels are also to be taken up under the project. 

• In addition, the project also envisages hydropower generation of 14 MW and provision of 42.70 million cubic metres (MCM) of drinking water to Haldwani and nearby areas, benefitting more than 10.65 lakh population.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during 2015-16 by the central government with an overarching vision to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation for all agricultural farms in the country, thus bringing much desired rural prosperity.

• It aims to expand cultivable areas under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, and introduce sustainable water conservation practices.

• The government has approved implementation of PMKSY during 2021-26 with an overall outlay of Rs 93,068.56 crore (central assistance of Rs 37,454 crore). 

Some of the broad objectives of the programme are:

i) Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level (preparation of district level and, if required, sub-district level water use plans).

ii) Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet Ko Paani).

iii) Promote integration of water source, distribution and its efficient use, to make best use of water through appropriate technologies and practices.

iv) Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage and increase availability both in duration and extent; irrigation and other water saving technologies (Per Drop More Crop).

v) Introduce sustainable water conservation practices.

vi) Ensure the integrated development of rain-fed areas using the watershed approach towards soil and water conservation, regeneration of groundwater, arresting run-off, providing livelihood options and other Natural Resource Management (NRM) activities.

vii) Promote extension activities relating to water harvesting, water management and crop alignment for farmers and grass-root level field functionaries.

• Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) is a component of PMKSY.

• AIBP component is for creation of irrigation potential through major and medium irrigation projects. 

• So far, 53 projects have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP and additional irrigation potential of 25.14 lakh hectare has been created. 

• Six projects have been included after the AIBP component of PMKSY 2.0 since 2021-22. 

• Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project is the seventh project to be included in the list.

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