Kisan Suryodaya Yojana: Gujarat

• 26 Oct 2020

Why in News

Recently, the Prime Minister has launched the ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana’ aimed at providing day-time electricity to farmers in Gujarat for irrigation and farming purposes.

• The Prime Minister also launched a 2.3 km-long ropeway project on Mount Girnar in Junagadh city, a major pilgrimage site.

Key Points

• Kisan Suryodaya Yojana:
  
  • Rs. 3,500 crore will be spent over the next three years for providing solar power to farmers for irrigation during daytime (5 AM to 9 PM).
  • About 3,500 circuit kilometers (CKM) of new transmission lines will be laid.
  • 10 districts including Dahod, Gir-Somnath and Tapi have been selected under the Scheme for 2020-21. The remaining districts will be covered in a phase-wise manner by 2022-23.
  • Significance:
    
    • It would help in the expansion of micro irrigation in the state. Micro irrigation is defined as the frequent application of small quantities of water directly above and below the soil surface; usually as discrete drops, continuous drops or tiny streams through emitters placed along a water delivery line.
    • It would complement irrigation projects of the State- Sujalam Sufalam and SAUNI (Saurashtra-Narmada Avtaran Irrigation) yojana.
    • It would complement central government initiatives like neem coating urea, Soil Health Cards, KUSUM Yojana, etc.
    • India has now reached 5^th position in the world in the last few years in solar power and is advancing fast. Further, it has given the world the plan of ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’.

Note

• On the Kisan Suryodaya scheme, the PM emphasised that farmers should save water and adopt the mantra ‘per drop, more crop’.
• With the objective of "per drop, more crop", Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was also launched in 2015.
  • It is a centrally sponsored scheme being implemented to expand cultivated areas with assured irrigation, reduce wastage of water and improve water use efficiency and ensure "Har Khet Ko Paani".
• It was conceived by amalgamating ongoing schemes viz.
  
  • Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (now Ministry of Jal Shakti),
  • Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Ministry of Rural Development and
  • On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC).
• The scheme is implemented by the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Jal Shakti and Rural Development.

• Ropeway Project on Mount Girnar:
  
  • The 2.3 km- long ropeway project is being touted as the longest temple ropeway in Asia.
    
    • Mount Girnar has Gorakhnath peak, Guru Dattatreya peak and a Jain temple.
  • It is the fourth ropeway in Gujarat along with Banaskantha, Pavagadh and Satpura.
  • It will give a boost to adventure activities as well as tourism in the state.
    
    • Sites like Shivarajpur beach which has got blue flag certification and Statue of Unity, provides a lot of employment opportunities to the locals.

Source: TH