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Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana:
Drops of Prosperity in Siaha District, Mizoram

Siaha District is one of the eight districts of Mizoram state. The district is bounded on the north and
northwest by Lunglei district, on the west by Lawngtlai District and on the south and east by
Myanmar. The district occupies an area of 1399.9 km². Siaha town is the administrative headquarters
of the district. It is the least populous district of Mizoram. In 2006, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj
named Siaha as one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of
the two districts in Mizoram which had received funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund
Programme (BRGF).

In Mizoram, agriculture is the most prevalent form of livelihood, where around 70% of the
populations depend on it for their source of income. However, lack of proper infrastructure, natural
disasters, disease outbreaks and many other factors often plague agricultural advancement in this part
of the country. This causes productivity to suffer and the cycle of poverty to continue. Agriculture
programme work with vulnerable farmers, many of whom are women, by training them in improved
practical agricultural methods, helping them access quality agricultural inputs and technology, and
linking them to viable markets. Such efforts help farmers grow more food for them or to sell. In
doing so, farmers are able to prevent hunger, preserve land for future use and to obtain long lasting
food security.

Acknowledging the economic potentials that remain untapped in the district for such a long time, a
sizeable number of schemes under the state and central government has been initiated.

1. Convergence of funds is the basic component of the strategies. Schemes such as Accelerated
Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), Integrated Watershed Management Programme
(IWMP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MNREGA), Border Area
Development Programme (BADP) and Backward Regions Grant Fund ((BRGF) are
collectively used for bridging the fund-gap in certain works.

2. Convergence of knowledge and expertise of groups as well as individuals is also effective.
Departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development and Krishi Vigyan Kendra
have contributed a lot to induce technical inputs in to various works.

3. Focus is also put on water conservation. To contain water run-off, bench and contour
terracing had been taken up and check dams were also constructed in a number of villages.

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