First MCAD-SAMRIDHI Pilot Project Launched at Patyari Cluster in Samba

The Command Area Development Department, Jammu, has launched the first-of-its-kind pilot project under the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (MCAD-SAMRIDHI) scheme at Patyari Cluster in Block Ghagwal of Samba district.

The project, among 38 pilot projects approved by the Government of India across the country, aims to modernise irrigation infrastructure and promote efficient and sustainable water management. Spread over nearly 400 hectares of rainfed area, the project has an estimated cost of ₹1,198.26 lakh.

A major step towards implementation was taken with the signing of an agreement between the Command Area Development Department, Jammu, and M/s RMS Contractors and Consultancy, Bhopal. The project will develop a Pressurised Pipe Irrigation Network (PPIN) for efficient conveyance and distribution of irrigation water to agricultural fields.

The irrigation network will be integrated with SCADA and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to facilitate improved monitoring, regulation and data-based management of water distribution. The system is expected to minimise conveyance and distribution losses while ensuring controlled and equitable supply of water to farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Command Area Development Jammu Pankaj Magotra said the initiative marks an important shift towards technology-based and sustainable irrigation management. Highlighting the principle of “Per Drop More Crop,” he said the objective was to ensure judicious use of every drop of available water and establish a modern irrigation model that could be replicated in other command areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

Around 400 farmers of the Patyari cluster have already formed a Water User Society (WUS) and signed an MoU with the department for operation and maintenance of the irrigation infrastructure after commissioning.

The project is also expected to encourage large-scale adoption of drip and sprinkler irrigation, crop diversification and improved agricultural practices, thereby enhancing productivity and farm incomes.

The department said the pilot would provide a model for scaling up technology-driven, climate-resilient irrigation interventions across Jammu and Kashmir.

Source & Wire Service: Prasar Bharati SHABD (DD / Akashvani News)