Farmers will now be required to pay charges for the use of water under the Centre’s water management scheme.Is it true?

No, it is a fake news, says Centre. In fact,the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and its Ministry categorically clarified  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, says the Ministry, 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 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, said the Ministry in a statement for the media outlets.