‘Every Drop Counts’: New PDMC Flexibility to Help States Strengthen Water Conservation and Farmer Income

‘Every Drop Counts’: New PDMC Flexibility to Help States Strengthen Water Conservation and Farmer Income

To promote efficient water use and boost farmer income, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has introduced new flexibility under the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) scheme. The initiative empowers States and Union Territories to take up micro-level water storage and conservation projects as part of “Other Interventions” (OI).

Under the revised guidelines, States and UTs can now plan micro-level water management activities-such as diggi construction and water harvesting systems-based on local needs. These systems can be developed for individual farmers as well as community use, ensuring sustainable water availability for micro-irrigation.

Earlier, funds for such activities were limited to 20% of the total allocation for each State/UT and 40% for North Eastern States, Himalayan States, and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Now, States/UTs have been given greater flexibility to exceed these limits as per their specific requirements.

These initiatives aim to help farmers adopt micro-irrigation, improve water-use efficiency, and ultimately increase productivity and income.