Treat drought as an opportunity to finish irrigation projects: Modi

Agriculturalists must treat deficient monsoon as an opportunity to speed-up irrigation projects, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said on Monday.

At a meeting to review the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Modi asked officers to work out district-level irrigation plans and involve young civil servants in the exercise.

“Treat the challenge of below-normal rainfall as an opportunity,” the Prime Minister told a meeting attended by Rural Development Minister Birendra Singh, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, MoS Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan and officials from the ministries of Agriculture, Finance, NITI Aayog and PMO.

Quick results
While emphasising on a multi-prongged strategy to enhance irrigation network, Modi wanted a re-look at administrative mechanisms, financial arrangements and technological application in irrigation sector for comprehensive decision making that would yield quick results for farmers.

 He also pitched for a short-term strategy to create farm ponds across the country.