DC Peren, Hiazu Meru with other officials and participants during 1-day awareness programme under Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) Scheme held at Council Hall, Beisumpuikam village, Peren on June 11. (DIPR Photo)
Peren, June 12 (MExN): A one-day awareness programme under the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) Scheme was held at the Council Hall in Beisumpuikam village, Peren district, on June 11.
Addressing the programme, Deputy Commissioner Peren, Hiazu Meru, acknowledged the Ministry of Jal Shakti, RD&GR and the Water Resources Department for selecting Jalukiekam and Beisumpuikam villages for the pilot project. He urged participants and farmers to make effective use of the scheme for the benefit of the villages and the district.
Superintending Engineer and Nodal Officer of the M-CADWM Scheme, Er Khrotso Koza, presented an overview of the implementation strategy and expected outcomes. He highlighted that while centrally sponsored schemes such as AIBP and PMKSY-HKKP had created substantial irrigation potential in Nagaland, utilisation remained low due to difficult terrain, limited farming manpower, inadequate water availability during winter and autumn seasons, and challenges in making agriculture a profitable enterprise.
He said the M-CADWM Scheme aims to address these issues by supplying irrigation water through pipelines and solar-powered pumping systems. He informed that the State Project Management Unit, District Level Implementation Committee, Water Users Society (WUS), and Farmers Relationship Agency had been constituted and sought the cooperation of farmers for successful implementation.
Deputy Director, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Shubham Pachauri, highlighted issues in the existing irrigation system, including leakage in canals, unequal water distribution and lack of proper accounting of water usage. He said the Samridhi (M-CADWM) scheme would ensure water reaches every field through pipelines, enabling timely irrigation and equitable distribution.
According to Pachauri, the scheme would create opportunities for multi-cropping and year-round cultivation, resulting in higher crop yields and increased farmer incomes. He also stressed the importance of Water User Societies, stating that farmers would eventually become owners and managers of irrigation systems after the operation and maintenance period. He further highlighted the scheme’s emphasis on women's participation in WUS.
Chief Technical Officer (Soil Science), KVK Peren, James Kikon, spoke on the role of KVK in transferring modern agricultural technologies and said the scheme had strong potential to improve water-use efficiency, increase cropping intensity and enhance productivity in the area.
Earlier, Executive Engineer, WRD Jalukie, Er Teiheile Hegeu, delivered the welcome address and informed that the Mongleu-Jalukie cluster had been selected under the scheme. She said the project aims to provide irrigation water through pressurised pipelines while also helping farmers improve production and market linkages.
Technical sessions were conducted by Assistant Director, Central Water Commission, Guwahati, Manpal Singh, on efficient water management and irrigation practices, while Team Lead of M/s KPMG, Vaibhav Daure, presented updates on cluster-level activities and the implementation framework for the Mongleu Cluster covering Jalukiekam and Beisumpuikam villages.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by ADC Jalukie, Albert Ezung.
