Chandigarh: In a major push towards sustainable agriculture and scientific water management, the State-Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC), under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, on Wednesday approved four community-based solar-powered integrated micro irrigation projects under the Micro Irrigation and Command Area Development Authority (MICADA).
With a total outlay of Rs 402.41 crore, the projects will be implemented across 61 canal outlets covering 20 blocks in Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Kurukshetra and Mahendragarh districts. Scheduled for completion between 2026–27 and 2028–29, the initiative will bring 11,040 hectares of culturable command area under advanced micro-irrigation systems, benefiting 8,926 farmers across 94 villages.
The district-wise allocation includes Rs 95.78 crore for Bhiwani, Rs 114.68 crore for Jhajjar, Rs 77.17 crore for Kurukshetra and Rs 114.78 crore for Mahendragarh, reflecting a targeted approach to strengthening irrigation infrastructure in water-stressed regions.
The benefit-cost ratio of the projects ranges from 1.21:1 to 1.65:1, indicating strong economic viability and promising long-term returns for the farming community through improved water efficiency and increased agricultural productivity.
By promoting drip and sprinkler irrigation systems within canal command areas, the projects aim to significantly improve water use efficiency, reduce transmission and distribution losses, and enhance overall crop productivity while ensuring optimal utilisation of available water resources.
Chairing the meeting, the Chief Secretary emphasised that integrated supply-side and demand-side management of water resources is essential to address climate variability, declining groundwater levels and increasing agricultural water demand. He directed the concerned departments to ensure timely execution, strict monitoring and effective inter-departmental coordination so that the intended benefits reach farmers within the stipulated timeframe.
He also noted that the adoption of solar-powered systems would reduce dependence on conventional energy sources, lower operational costs for farmers and promote environmentally sustainable irrigation practices aligned with clean energy goals.
The Chief Secretary further directed officers to undertake field visits regularly and share best practices with farmers to ensure effective implementation and maximum utilisation of the micro irrigation systems.
The scheme will continue to operate under a beneficiary-driven Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)/in-kind model, enabling farmers to select suppliers while subsidies are released within approved cost ceilings, ensuring flexibility and transparency in implementation.
To enhance transparency and prevent irregularities, the MICADA portal will be integrated with the GST portal for digital authentication of invoices, thereby preventing fake or inflated billing and ensuring proper verification of subsidy claims.
A component-wise bank guarantee mechanism has also been approved to ensure financial accountability of vendors and safeguard public funds, while GST has been included as part of the admissible subsidy as per government norms, providing additional financial support to farmers adopting micro irrigation systems.
(IANS)
