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| CENTRALLY SPONSORED SCHEME ON MICROIRRIGATION |
| (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation) |
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1) Microirrigation scheme has been approved for increasing the area under drip and sprinkler irrigation during 10 th plan. The target of 6.2 lakh ha has been fixed which includes 3.8 lakh ha under drip irrigation and 2.4 lakh ha under sprinkler irrigation. |
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| Nature of Scheme |
2) This will be a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under which out of the total cost of the MI System, 40% will be borne by the Central Government, 10% by the State Government and the remaining 50% will be borne by the beneficiary, either through his/her own resources or soft loan from financial institutions. In other words, out of the Governmental assistance, 80% share (40% of unit cost) will be met by the Government of India (GOI) and the balance 20% (10% of unit cost) will be met by the participating State Government. The concerned States shall make available their share of 20% to the Implementing Agencies (IA) during the financial year. |
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| Pattern of Assistance |
3) In the case of drip irrigation, the assistance will be limited to 50% of the cost of the System for the specified crop spacing and for the area covered under the crop by the farmer. The assistance for sprinkler irrigation will also be 50% of the cost. In both the cases, the assistance will be limited to five ha per beneficiary family. The assistance for MI demonstrations, to be taken in farms belonging to State/Central Governments, State Agricultural Universities (SAU s), ICAR Institutions, progressive farmers and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) / Trusts, on their own land will be @ 75% of the cost for a maximum area of 0.5 ha per beneficiary, which will be met entirely by the Central Government. The scheme will cover all categories of farmers irrespective of the size of land holding. However, while selecting the beneficiaries, care will be taken to ensure that the small & marginal farmers are given due priority for supplying the system. At least 25% of the beneficiaries should be small & marginal farmers. The Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) will be involved while selecting the beneficiaries. |
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| Drip Irrigation |
4) Drip Irrigation involves technology for irrigating plants at the root zone through emitters fitted on a network of pipes (mains, sub-mains and laterals). The emitting devices could be drippers, micro sprinklers, mini sprinklers, microjets, misters, fan jets, micro sprayers, foggers and emitting pipes, which are designed to discharge water at prescribed rates. The use of different emitters will depend upon specific requirements, which may vary from crop to crop. Water requirement, age of plant spacing, soil type, water quality and availability are some of the factors which would decide the choice of the emitting system. Sometimes microtubes are also used as an emitter, though it is inefficient. All types of surface and subsurface irrigation systems are covered under MI Technology. An indicative list of system components required for installing a drip irrigation system in areas ranging from 0.4 ha to 5 ha is given in Annexure-I. The estimated cost of Drip Irrigation System (assuming peak water requirement with source of water at the corner of the plot) for different crop spacing and plot sizes is given in Table 3.1. |
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| Table-3.1: Estimated Cost of Installing Drip Irrigation System |
| Spacing (Metre) |
Area, hectares |
| 0.4 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
| 12 x 12 |
10600 |
16700 |
25200 |
32600 |
53700 |
71300 |
| 10 x l0 |
12100 |
18000 |
27700 |
36000 |
57900 |
76900 |
| 9 x 9 |
12400 |
22100 |
35500 |
55900 |
61400 |
81100 |
| 8 x 8 |
12900 |
19900 |
31300 |
41700 |
65500 |
86200 |
| 6 x 6 |
14400 |
30200 |
51200 |
70300 |
105800 |
13 7400 |
| 5 x 5 |
15100 |
32800 |
56600 |
83100 |
117100 |
150800 |
| 4 x 4 |
16900 |
39300 |
63100 |
100700 |
142200 |
179300 |
| 3 x 3 |
17900 |
35600 |
71400 |
96100 |
130800 |
158300 |
| 3 x l.5 |
19700 |
40200 |
80500 |
109700 |
146100 |
180900 |
| 2.5 x 2.5 |
20000 |
39800 |
81400 |
111200 |
199500 |
239600 |
| 2 x 2 |
21300 |
49800 |
86400 |
122700 |
164900 |
223400 |
| 1.5 x l.5 |
26100 |
55000 |
109500 |
165100 |
205900 |
281000 |
| 1 x l |
26500 |
57600 |
96500 |
146500 |
199900 |
249200 |
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5) The unit cost of Drip Irrigation system varies with respect to plant spacing and location of the water source. Moreover, the cost of the drip system varies from state to state depending upon the existing demand and marketing network. Accordingly, the states have been categorized into three categories, viz., Category "A","B" and "C". States where more than 10,000 hectares have been brought under drip irrigation as on 1-4-2004 would come under "A" Category. This would include the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat , Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. All the States except those covered under Category "A" and those falling in the Himalayan belt would come under Category "B". All the North Eastern States, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Darjeeling district of West Bengal would come under Category "C". Keeping in view the level of awareness, proximity to the manufacturing units, distance involved in transportation, potential for drip irrigation, the cost of drip system in Category "B" States is estimated to be 15% higher than Category "A". States while for Category "C" States it is estimated to be 25% higher than Category "A" States. Accordingly, the average unit cost of drip irrigation system for different State categories is given in Table-3.2.
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Table-3.2: Average of Unit Cost for installing Drip Irrigation System |
| State Category |
Average Cost, Rs./ha |
| A |
40,000 |
| B |
46,000 |
| C |
50,000 |
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6) The assistance under the scheme is available for all type of drip irrigation system such as online drip irrigation, inline systems, sub-surface drip irrigation system, micro jets, micro sprinkler, misters and similar other low discharge irrigation systems. Use of micro tubes as an emitting device under the MI scheme will be allowed only under exceptional circumstances where the water quality does not permit the use of any other types of emitters. |
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7) Assistance will be available to the farmer growing all horticultural crops like fruits, vegetables including potato, onion and other root and tuber crops, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants, all plantation crops including tea, coffee, rubber and oil palm. The scheme will be implemented on compact area basis. |
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8) Only new installation i.e. system invoiced and installed during 2005 –06 and the current financial year which have not availed any subsidy under any Government Schemes shall be eligible for assistance under the scheme. |
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9) Cooperative society/ Self Help Group/ Incorporated Company will also be entitled to avail assistance on behalf of its members. In such cases, the individual beneficiary will receive assistance through the Cooperative Society/SHG/ Incorporated Company and not directly. |
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| 10) Assistance of drip irrigation will be 50 per cent of the system cost applicable to different crop spacing as given in Annexure-II. |
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11) In case of crop with plant spacing other than those mentioned in Table-3.1, the amount of assistance could be calculated on pro rata/ average basis of the nearest plant spacing. Alternatively assistance amount may be calculated as per the unit cost of the nearest spacing of plant. As small farm holding may not have individual source of water, it would be preferable to encourage a group of farmers to avail the benefits of drip irrigation through a common water source. However, the cost norms for smaller area (0.4 ha) also have been provided with the view to enable small and marginal farmers to avail the scheme. A beneficiary cannot split an area into smaller pockets of the same crop for claiming assistance under the scheme. |
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12) In case of inter-cropping, assistance will be available for the prescribed plant spacing indicated in Annexure-IIsubjected to condition that the assistance will be provided only for one crop as per farmers choice. However, if the beneficiary has more than one crop with different crop spacing being grown separately in his/her land holding, assistance will be available for installing the drip irrigation system as per the individual crop spacing, the combined area of which will not exceed 5 ha per beneficiary family. |
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| Sprinkler Irrigation |
13) Under sprinkler irrigation water is sprinkled under pressure into the air and plant foliage through a set of nozzles attached to network of aluminum or High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) pipes in the form of rainfall. These systems are suitable for irrigation crops where the plant density is very high where adoption of Drip Irrigation System may not be economical. Sprinkler irrigation is suitable for horticultural crops like vegetables and seed spices. Conventionally, sprinkler irrigation has been widely in use for irrigating Cereals, Pulses, Oil seeds, and other field crops. |
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14) The indicative list of the component required for a sprinkler irrigation system is given in Annexure-III. The cost of sprinkler irrigation for one-hectare plot with different coupler diameter is given Table 3.3. |
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| Table 3.3: Cost of Sprinkler Irrigation System |
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| Coupler Diameter (mm) |
Cost (Rs) |
| 63mm |
13690 |
| 75mm |
14270 |
| 90mm |
17280 |
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15) Financial assistance to the beneficiary for sprinkler irrigation will be limited to 50 per cent of the system cost subjected to a maximum of Rs. 7500/- per ha. Since sprinkler system is movable, the cost of the system will be governed by the actual quantity of materials used. |
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16) The sprinkler system sets, unlike drip irrigation system, are movable. Hence one sprinkler set could cover more than one ha by shifting from one place to another. Only those farmers who have not availed of assistance for sprinkler irrigation from any other scheme would be eligible for assistance under this scheme. Assistance for sprinkler irrigation will be limited to only those crops for which drip irrigation is uneconomical. Depending upon the type of crop a farmer can avail assistance for sprinkler irrigation as well as drip irrigation, the combined area of which should not exceeds five ha per beneficiary. However, assistance for both sprinkler and drip irrigation will not be available for a crop on the same plot/field being cultivated by the farmer. Moreover, assistance for sprinkler irrigation alone, which is less efficient than drip irrigation, should be discouraged. |
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17) The cost for installation of system will be borne by the beneficiary. The beneficiary will also be responsible for all electrical and mechanical works such as pumps, panels, electrification works, etc; at his own costs. The manufacturer will be responsible for repair or replacement of the system components against manufacturing defects. Since the system manufacturers are supplying a tailor made system to the farmers, the transportation and installation charges of the system will be borne by the farmers. |
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18) A farmer shall be eligible for assistance only if adequate water is available for the area proposed to be brought under Drip/Sprinkler irrigation. The installation of drip/sprinkler irrigation system and the assistance should be limited to the area for which adequate water is available. The scheme does not provide for creating new water sources. However, various schemes of the Government such as National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and Macro Management Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture, Integrated Watershed Development Scheme (IWDS), Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and Integrated Wastelands Development Project (IWDP) of Ministry of Rural Development, Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY) of Planning Commission are being implemented under which there is a provision for creating water resources. These schemes should be availed and the water resources developed through such schemes should be used in conjunction with drip/sprinkler irrigation systems. |
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19) Assessment of water availability should be made by the implementing agencies. The officers of the concerned Irrigation Association may also be associated in the process. The Irrigation Association may also nominate accredited trained graduates for verifying the drip installation systems. Sample format for collecting application from a farmer/ beneficiary is given in Annexure IV. Details on the principles of estimating water and power requirement for installing drip irrigation system is given in Annexure V and the methodology for assessment of water and power is given in Annexure VI. The questionnaire at Annexure VII, which provides the format for assessing water and power availability for installing drip irrigation system, may be used for assessing water availability in the beneficiary's plot. The Field Functionaries should collect the data accurately and thereafter an assessment of adequacy should be made on the basis of norms given in these Guidelines. In general the following thumb rule may be followed: |
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a. Orchard crops: Orchard crops may be irrigated with Drip irrigation system if assured water supply of one litre per second / hectare is available for four hours per day from the existing water sources. |
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b. Vegetables and other closely spaced crops: Drip Irrigation system may be used if assured water supply of three litres per second / hectare is available for four hours per day from the existing water sources. |
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| 20) Where a farmer proposes to use canal water for drip irrigation, overhead storage capacity (assessed in accordance with Annexure VII) should be created. |
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21) All efforts should be made to arrive at the realistic water requirement of the crop for the particular region. Moreover, the drip irrigation system should be designed in such a manner that required amount of water is made available to the crops depending upon stage of growth of the crop. |
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22) One or more farmer who agree to use the same water source for irrigating their land, could be permitted to avail assistance for installing the Microirrigation system as an individual. |
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23) The availability of motive power and pumps of adequate capacity should be ensured before installation of the Drip Irrigation system and sanction of assistance. In general when water is to be lifted from a depth of 15 m to 25 m, the power requirement would be: |
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| a) 1 H.P./ha for orchard crops. |
| b) 3 H.P./ha for vegetables and other closely spaced crops. |
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24) Assistance should not be sanctioned without ensuring adequate power availability. Assistance should be limited to the extent of land for which adequate power is available. The source of power could be electricity through State Electricity Boards, Distribution companies, nonconventional energy or diesel engines. |
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| Demonstrations of Microirrigation |
25) The demonstration will be taken up only on recognised farms belonging to State/ Central Government / SAUs /NGOs of repute/Trusts, on their own land/ ICAR Institutes and progressive farmers growing horticultural crops. Each farm will get a demonstration unit of 0.5 hectares area only. The demonstration would be laid at strategic locations along road side for the maximum benefit of the farmers. |
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26) The procedure to implement this component of the scheme is the same as suggested for drip irrigation installation component. The manufacturers/suppliers approved for drip irrigation installation may lay demonstrations. |
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| 27) For demonstrations, assistance would be provided @ 75% of unit cost for a maximum area of 0.5 ha per beneficiary . |
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| Scheme Administration |
| 28) The scheme will have a three tier system for effective implementation and monitoring of the scheme . |
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| I. National Level |
| a) National Committee on Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture (NCPAH) |
29) At the national level, the National Committee on Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture (NCPAH) under the Chairmanship of Minister of Agriculture, GOI will be the apex body which will provide overall guidance and review the progress on the coverage of area under MI in the country . |
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| b) Executive Committee on Microirrigation |
30) The Executive Committee (EC) of NCPAH headed by the Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation will oversee the activities of the MI scheme and approve the action plans including plans of PFDCs, projects on technology transfer and sponsored project (Annexure VIII) |
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31) The allocation for various states/components would be within the discretions of EC. It will ensure smooth functional linkages among different agencies. The EC shall meet as frequently as necessary but at least once every quarter . |
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| II. State Level |
| State Microirrigation Committee |
32) The concerned State Government under the Chairmanship of the Agriculture Production Commissioner/Principal Secretary/Secretary Horticulture/ Agriculture will form a State Microirrigation Committee (SMIC). The SMIC will devise strategies to promote MI in their respective States. The Panchayati Raj Institutions existing in the State will be involved in the implementation structure, particularly the selection of beneficiaries. The Structure of SMIC will be as follows. |
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| Designation |
Status |
| APC/ Secretary (Hort. / Agri.) |
Chairman |
| Secretaries: |
Member |
| Water Resources |
Member |
| Rural Development |
Member |
| Panchayati Raj |
Member |
| Representative of Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi |
Member |
| Director/Head of Rural Development |
Member |
| Director(s) of Research of SAUs of the State |
Member |
| Principal Investigator (PI) of PFDC |
Member |
| Representative of Lead Banks |
Member |
| Two representatives of State level Growers Associations |
Member |
| Representative of State Agro Industries |
Member |
| Representative of Irrigation Association of India (IAI) |
Member |
| Experts (one each from the fields of Horticulture, Agronomy, Soil |
Member |
| Science, Agricultural Engineering, Water Management, |
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| Economist, Information Technology) |
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| Representative from state ground water board |
Member |
| Director of Horticulture/Agriculture/Mission Director (NHM) of state |
Member Secretary |
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| 33) The Chairman at his discretion can co-opt official/ expert as an invitee. |
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| The SMIC will have the following functions |
- Organize base line survey and feasibility studies in different parts of the State covering various crops and technologies.
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- Ensure smooth implementation of Microirrigation project in different districts of the State .
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- Ensure allocation of State's share of resources required for implementing the Scheme and make it available to the Implementing Agencies at the district level.
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- Finalize and forward the consolidated action plan of the Districts to DAC.
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- Circulate the list of System Manufacturers registered with them along with the price list to the District Micro Irrigation Committee (DMIC) and Implementing Agency. They will also indicate the quantum of money to be paid by the beneficiary / Bank to the Manufacturer before installing the system.
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- Mobilize credit requirement of the farmers for installing Microirrigation System through the Financial Institutions
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- Facilitate PFDCs in organizing various training and extension programmes for farmers, officials, NGOs, entrepreneurs etc.
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| This Committee shall host a website indicating the details and status on the progress of the Microirrigation Scheme in different districts of the State. |
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| III. District Level |
| a) District Micro Irrigation Committee (DMIC) |
34) At the district level, the State Government will constitute the District Micro Irrigation Committee (DMIC). The DMIC will be headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zila Parishad/District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)/Collector of the District having its members / representatives from concerned Departments viz. Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development, Irrigation and Water resources, Growers’ Association, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and representative of the local lead Banks including the IA. The local Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) will be involved in implementation of MI Scheme to the extent and manner considered appropriate by the IA keeping in view the capacity of the PRI. The District Horticulture Officer/ District Agriculture Officer will be the Member Secretary of DMIC . |
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| The DMIC will have the following functions: |
- Review and forward the action plan and forwards it to the Ministry of Agriculture through SMIC.
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- Mobilize credit requirement of the farmers for installing Microirrigation System through the Financial Institutions .
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- Monitor and review the physical & financial progress of implementation of MI Scheme .
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- Review the submission of utilization certificate by the IA .
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- Provide feed back to SMIC on monthly basis .
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| b) Implementing Agency (IA) |
35) In the States, the Scheme will be implemented by an Implementing Agency (IA) specially designated for this purpose by the State Government, which will be the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDA) or any identified Agency in conjunction with Directorate of Horticulture/ Agriculture having the required infrastructure. The Directorate of Horticulture/Agriculture would provide the technical support for the scheme. The financial assistance to the farmers will be routed through the IA. Assistance to the tune of one percent of the annual outlay for the District will be provided for monitoring the scheme in the District by the IA . |
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| 36) The IA shall |
- Formulate action plan for their district as per prescribed format (Annexure-IX) .
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- Forward action plan to Ministry of Agriculture through DMIC/SMIC.
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- Receive funds directly from the Ministry of Agriculture.
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- Disburse the assistance to the beneficiaries.
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- Furnish Utilization Certificate and Monthly Progress Report in the prescribed proforma (Annexure-X) to Ministry of Agriculture .
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| 37) The IA shall ensure that: |
- The MI technology is promoted in a holistic manner involving appropriate cultivars, good agronomic practices, post harvest handling, processing and marketing with an end-to-end approach.
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- The assistance for Microirrigation System is commensurate with the size of the holding of the beneficiary family as per revenue records .
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- Assistance is disbursed to the beneficiary within one month of commissioning the system .
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| General Guidelines Administering the Microirrigation Scheme |
| (A) Transparency in Beneficiary Selection |
38) The Implementing Agency (IA) at the district level should follow a uniform procedure duly ensuring full transparency in selecting the beneficiaries and releasing the assistance to them in an efficient manner. In order to bring about uniformity, the IA could adopt the procedure described below. |
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| I. Pre-installation |
| (39) |
| a) The IA will |
- widely publish the scheme at the block and village levels through its existing network.
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- appoint a nodal officer, who is preferably well versed in horticulture/ agriculture, will be responsible for the Microirrigation Scheme.
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- disseminate the list of Suppliers and rate list approved by SMIC to the farmers
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- organize at least one District Level Seminar/Workshop with the participation of Industry representatives.
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| b) The Manufacturer/ Company will |
- Assess the crop water requirement as per the crop for which the system is to be provided.
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- Prepare an estimate of cost and submit to IA duly indicating the time frame by when the system will be supplied in the farmer's field.
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c) The IA will examine the estimate and convey its approval indicating the approved amount and the farmer's share after deducting the eligible subsidy, duly endorsing a copy to the selected Company/Dealer and in case the farmer avails bank loan, a copy to the concerned bank. |
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d) Beneficiary will pay his/her share of contribution to the manufacturer/ supplier; who issues receipt to the farmer in duplicate for the amount received. The payment of beneficiary's share could be in installments as decided by the SMIC while registering the manufacturers. |
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| e) In case the beneficiary intends to avail credit he/ she will submit proposal along with the quotation from the manufacturer/ supplier to the concerned Bank, who in turn will. |
- Scrutinize the proposal and sanction the loan amount based on guidelines and norms.
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- Pay the beneficiary's sanctioned amount to the Manufacturer/Supplier under intimation to the beneficiary in suitable installments as decided by SMIC .
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| II. Installation |
| 40) The Company will install the system and commission it to the satisfaction of the farmer duly ensuring the following . |
- Only good quality components having BIS marking will be installed in the farmer's field.
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- The installed system should match the water requirement of the crop standing in field at the time of installation.
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- Provide necessary orientation training to the farmer on the agronomic practices to be followed for irrigating the crop with drip/sprinkler irrigation.
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- Provide proper warranty and also a user’s manual for running & maintenance of the system, whether drip or sprinkler or both, as the case may be.
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| III. Disbursement of Assistance - Post Installation |
| If Beneficiary Pays His Own Share |
41) Subject to satisfactory installation of the System, the Implementing Agency will release payment to the beneficiary through crossed Cheque/ Draft. In case the cheque is drawn in favour of the company, it will be delivered through the farmer. The farmer will pay the balance amount due to the Manufacturer. |
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| If Beneficiary Takes Loan |
| 42) If the sanctioned loan amount is less than 50% of the system cost, the beneficiary shall bear the balance amount. |
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43) Subject to satisfactory installation of the System, the balance amount payable to the Manufacturer/Supplier will be released by the IA through the beneficiary by crossed cheque. The Bank will also release the balance amount, if any, due to the manufactures by crossed cheque through the beneficiary. |
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44) The IA will ensure that the payment of subsidy is made within a month from the date of installation of the system. The applicant should be informed about sanctioning of the system within one month from the date of receipt of his/her application. As far as feasible, the details of the beneficiary and the amount sanctioned, the Company and area covered should be posted on the web site by the IA. |
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45) The farmers shall be free to select the manufacturers/ suppliers from an approved list of Manufacturers/Suppliers registered by the SMIC for installing the Microirrigation System in the area/ taluka/ of the location of farmer's field. |
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46) The IA should ensure that bills are accepted and passed only for the material conforming to BIS standards. (If at a later date, it is found that the subsidy is paid for the sub standard material, not beating BIS markings, the concerned official of IA will be held responsible). If Implementing Agency finds that system components supplied does not bear BIS markings, they should reject the bill and take steps to black list the company which has supplied the sub standard system and take necessary corrective steps to supply standard quality material to the concerned farmer. Supply of substandard materials should be severely dealt with. |
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| (B) Registration of Manufacturers |
47) Registration of the System manufacturers will be done by the SMIC, for use of the Districts. Only those Manufacturing Companies which have all the facilities to ensure the quality of product and who can provide prompt after sales services will be registered. The companies who wish to participate in the Microirrigation Scheme should either manufacture all the major drip components within their factory or in collaboration with specialized manufacturers. While registering, the manufacturers should declare the technical details of the components proposed to be manufactured and supplied. |
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| 48) While, registering the manufacturers, the following aspects shall be ensured : |
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In the case of drip irrigation, the Company must manufacture at least laterals and emitting devices (other than micro-tubes) conforming to BIS standards. In the case of Sprinkler Irrigation the company should manufacture at least the HDPE pipes and nozzles as per BIS specifications. They must provide guarantee of quality assurance of other components which is not manufactured by them.
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- The Company must provide free after sales service to the farmers at least for three years. Moreover, they should set up service centres for providing technological and agronomic support at the grass root level.
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- The companies will supply the BIS marked material only. The list of relevant BIS components is given in Annexure XI.
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- In case, the company intends to supply imported components, they should have prior approval of the DAC.
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The material should be supplied directly by the manufacturers only or their authorized distributor / dealer. In all cases the manufacturers should authenticate the invoices. Such manufacturers/dealers shall furnish a Bank Guarantee, quantum of which will be prescribed by the SMIC, valid for a maximum period of three years.
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- Each company will have its own pricing system. However, the company would be required to submit the same to the Registering Authority/SMIC in the beginning of the year and as and when the prices are revised by the Manufacturers.
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49) A registration fee not exceeding Rs. 50, 000 per annum may be charged from system manufacturers at the time of registration. The revenue generated from the registration fee may be used for promoting microirrigation in the State such as engagement of State TSG. |
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| (C) Quality Control |
50) The crucial aspect of supply of micro-irrigation system is quality of the hardware delivered to the farmer. Poor quality can directly affect performance of the system. The poor performance may affect yield of the crop, quantity of water applied, quantity of fertilizers delivered to the plant etc. It may also increase energy consumption. In fact, sub standard system will not only impact performance, but could also reduce the durability and the life of the components and/ or system. Therefore, quality assurance is a prerequisite which can not be compromised under any circumstance . |
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51) Frequent surveillance by inspection teams comprising of officials from NCPAH/ PFDC, CIPET, IAI, BIS or personnel from these agencies/ TSG will be a regular feature under the Scheme. They will draw samples periodically from the field on random basis within a period of three years from the date of installation of the system. At the time of inspection the system should be fully functional. Besides, the criteria as given below in Box will be looked into. |
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52) In case of detection of failures or supply of poor sub standard quality material; the concerned manufacturer will be issued warning for first offence. In case of subsequent offences, the Company will be deregistered and debarred from participating in the MI Scheme through out the country in addition to invoking of bank guarantee furnished by their dealers . |
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53) In order to ensure supply of BIS quality materials to the farmers the manufacturers who are registered to participate in Microirrigation Scheme should manufacture only such system components which has BIS Certification. It will be the responsibility of the Irrigation Association of India (IAI) to promote the quality assurance mechanism by registering only such manufacturers who gives an undertaking to this effect, as a Member of IAI . |
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| Checklist for sanctioning Assistance under Microirrigation Scheme |
- Material supplied by the Manufacturer should be of good quality having BIS certification. Moreover, the components installed conform to the specifications declared by the manufacturer during their registration.
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- Distribution of the drip laterals and emitters should be in accordance with the crop spacing duly ensuring effective root zone wetting.
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- The application of water between the first and the last emitters on a lateral should be fairly uniform (within 10% variation).
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- The drip system should be installed and commissioned to the satisfaction of the farmer.
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- The farmer should be in possession of a user’s manual of the relevant manufacturer who has installed the system.
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| (D) After Sales Service |
54) The manufacturers should have the network for providing after sales service in the area of operation. Operation and Maintenance of the system though simple, requires training for maintenance, fertigation, chemigation etc. in the initial stage. Therefore the manufacturers should provide detailed operational and maintenance manuals in vernacular languages at the time of installation of the system. The beneficiaries should be made aware to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturers in operation and maintenance of the drip/sprinkler irrigation system. |
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55) SMIC should ensure that drip/sprinkler system manufacturers should open their Regional offices/ service centers at the District/Block level when a reasonable area has been covered by the company in a Block/ District. These service centers and/or offices should have the facilities to provide technical guidance on agronomic practices, system maintenance schedule to the farmer, supply spare parts and ensure satisfactory performance of the system during the warranty period. List of such after sales centre with full address/ telephone numbers/ e-mail should be widely published. |
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56) Free after sales service should be provided by the manufacturer/ authorized distributor at least for three years. In the event, if any system manufacturer fails to abide by his commitments, the same should be brought to the notice of DMIC and DAC/EC for taking appropriate action . |
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57) The manufacturer should take the responsibility in case of any dispute arising from the supply of their product through their distributor or dealer. The IA/SMIC of individual State shall evolve a process and modus operandi for redressal of disputes or arbitration at Taluka/Block Levels. |
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| 58) The SMIC/IAs are free to evolve strong punitive measures against erring companies as well as against their own staff, in order to safeguard the interests of farmers and in order to ensure qualitative utilization of public funds. |
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