AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Agricultural Engineering Department is rendering valuable service for farming community and responsible for the Conservation, Development and Management of Natural resources since 1974 in Pudukkottai District.At District level, One Executive Engineer and Two Assistant Executive Engineers along with 22 Engineers and Technical Staffs working in the Pudukkottai, Aranthangi and Illuppur Revenue Divisions are functioning as service Department for the farmers.

The Agricultural Engineering Department is Executing Soil and water Conservation, Water Management works and giving Technical Support to the farmers on water Management and implementing the schemes.

In order to take up Land Development works such as Land Leveling, land shaping & Puddling works, Bull Dozers (Rs.840/- Per Hour), Tractors (Rs.340/- Per Hour) are available with the Department for hiring out to farmers at Nominal Hire charges. These Machineries also cater the need of relief works during flood and natural calamities.

The Agricultural Engineering Department is having Rotary Drills (Rs.130/- Per Meter) Under Minor Irrigation Scheme for hiring out to the farmers at reasonable hire charges for taking up sinking of new Bore wells.

Resistivity meter is provided to farmers for locating well sites and aquifers on hiring basis.(Rs.500/- Agriculture Purpose) & Rs.1000/- Non Agriculture Purpose).

The scheme is being implemented to provide additional Farm Power to increase in the Agriculture production and productivity and to meet the shortage of farm workers and to undertake various field operations in time.

To promote the use of Agricultural Machinery and Implements in Agriculture under NADP/SMAM, the Agricultural Machineries are being distributed at 40 % to 50 % subsidized rates under SMAM Guidelines.

Custom Hiring Centres with New Modernized Agricultural Machineries are established in Blocklevel at 40% Subsidy and Village level at 80% Subsidy under NADP/SMAM for the Pudukkottai District Farmers.

To Improve the moisture regime of the Watershed for increased land use, Rainwater harvesting and Runoff Management Structures Such as Check Dams, Percolation Ponds, Farm Ponds, New Village tanks, Ooranies and recharge shaft are constructed.

The Provision of Solar Pump sets from 5 to 10 HP are provided to the farmers preferably in Delta Blocks of Pudukkottai District with 90 % Subsidy Assistance jointly with TANGEDCO linked with Suitable Micro Irrigation System. The scheme is implemented and installed to the eligible farmers by Agricultural Engineering with 40% subsidy by State Government and and 20% Subsidy by Central Government and 30% Subsidy by TANGEDGO and the balance 10% contributed by the farmers.

Considering the importance of Farm ponds in providing life saving irrigation for crops at the tail end of Cauvery delta Blocks / Coastal Blocks, Creation of 1000 Farm Ponds at a Cost of Rs.1.00 Lakh each are to be taken up in Pudukkottai District.

A New scheme launched from 2016-17 to 2019-2020 for Dry land farming, focusing on improving the production and Productivity. Water Conservation measures are also taken up as an integral part of this scheme. The 12 clusters of each 1000 hectares are taken up in the selected bl0cks. 4 clusters in Viralimalai, Kunnandarkovil, Ponnamaravathi, and Annavasal blocks were selected in the 1st phase and 8 clusters viz Pudukkottai, Thiruvarankulam, Kunnandarkovil, Gandarvakottai, Karambakudi, Arimalam, Thirumayam and Aranthangi blocks are selected in 2nd phase.

Rain water Harvesting Works Under Entry Point Activity (EPA) Component at a cost of Rs.5.00 Lakhs per cluster Summer Ploughing works in each of the dry land fields are taken up before the onset of monsoon in all clusters at a cost of Rs.1250/- per hectare to retain moisture and Improving soil fertility. Water harvesting structures (WHS) like Farm Ponds, Filed Bunding are taken up in all selected clusters of Pudukkottai District for collecting and Storing Rainwater at a Unit cost of Rs.7.50 Lakhs/cluster using the Mission Funds. Custom Hiring centre are established under 80% subsidy for the Farmer & Groups at Village level.

A subsidy assistance of 75% cost of value addition machinery unit is established in phased Manner in potential Dry land clusters of Pudukkottai District.

For the value addition of Agriculture production and to Promote the utilization of Solar energy among Farmers and Farmers groups, solar Driers with 50% Subsidy Assistance are provided.

Pudukkottai District Farmers are requested to download and activate the ‘’UZHAVAN Mobile App”. The Farmers are also requested to register through Mobile app to get the benefits of the Agricultural Engineering Department Schemes.