Why in News ? 

The government has sanctioned 56 new watershed development projects totaling ₹700 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana. These initiatives, covering 280,000 hectares across ten states, are designed to improve agricultural output, strengthen climate resilience, and enhance soil management. 

 What is Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)? 

• It was launched in 2015. 
• Aims to improve access to water for agriculture, increase the area under assured irrigation, enhance water use efficiency, and promote sustainable water conservation practices. 
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (Core Scheme), with a funding distribution of 75:25 between the Centre and the States. 
  • For the northeastern and hilly states, the funding share is 90:10. 
• In 2020, the Ministry of Jal Shakti introduced a mobile application for the Geo-Tagging of project components under PMKSY. 

Components of PMKSY 

• Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP): Launched in 1996 to speed up irrigation projects, adding 25.14 lakh hectares of irrigation through 53 completed projects. 
• Har Khet ko Pani (HKKP): Focuses on creating new water sources, restoring water bodies, and building rainwater harvesting structures. 
• Watershed Development: Manages runoff water and improves soil moisture conservation through activities like ridge treatment and rainwater harvesting.