It has come to the notice of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, that certain sections of the media have reported, inaccurately and misleadingly, that farmers will now be required to pay charges for the use of water under a new scheme being piloted by the Government of India.

The Ministry would like to categorically clarify that the pilot project in question pertains to the "Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) Scheme under Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY). This initiative is aimed at enhancing irrigation efficiency, ensuring equitable distribution of water, and promoting the use of modern technology such as pressurized pipeline networks, IoT devices, and SCADA systems to ensure effective water management and transparency in distribution.

There is absolutely no provision under this pilot project, nor any directive from the Government of India, to necessarily impose user charges on farmers for water usage. During the recent press conference, this point was raised multiple times by members of the media and was clearly clarified by Hon’ble Minister of Jalshakti Shri C.R. Patil.

Further, it is emphasized that both ‘agriculture’ and ‘water’ are State subjects under the Constitution of India. Accordingly, any decision regarding the collection of user charges—if at all—from Water User Associations (WUAs) or beneficiaries of this scheme, shall rest solely with the respective State Governments implementing the scheme.

The Ministry urges all stakeholders, including media outlets, to verify facts before publishing such reports, which may create unnecessary panic or confusion among the farming community.

This clarification is being issued in the interest of transparency and to prevent the spread of misinformation.

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Dhanya Sanal K

Erroneous Press Release