TIRUNELVELI
The district has received ₹ 29.43 crore as grant for encouraging the horticultural farmers to install micro-irrigation systems in their farms that ensure optimum use of water to nourish the crop while giving better yield.
According to Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, 3,595 hectares would be covered under the micro irrigation systems during the current fiscal, for which ₹ 25.16 crore had been allocated. While small and marginal farmers would get cent per cent subsidy for installing in their ranches micro irrigation systems approved by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Authority (TANHODA), the grant would be 75% for other farmers.
The companies approved by TANHODA would install the approved micro irrigation equipment.
“While small and marginal farmers can install these equipment on 5 acres of land, the ceiling for other farmers is 12.50 acres to nourish horticulture crops like mango, plantain, lemon, sapota, amla, vegetables and flowers,” Ms. Shilpa said.
Apart from this, ₹ 4.27 crore has been allotted under the Water Management Mission to enable the beneficiary farmers for buying diesel or electric motors, sinking deep borewells, laying distribution pipes and constructing ground-level sumps.
“While ₹ 15,000 will be given as subsidy for buying electric or diesel motors, the grant allowed for sinking deep borewell is ₹ 25,000 and ₹ 10,000 will be given for laying the distribution pipes. For the construction of ground-level sumps, maximum subsidy of ₹ 40,000 will be given,” Ms. Shilpa said.
Aspiring farmers may apply with computer patta, ‘adangal’, ration card, photostat copy of Aadhaar card, soil and water testing reports and two passport size photos for getting the grant.