Are farmers being taxed for water usage? Union government answers
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PIB Fact Check confirms claim is false
Clarification from the Ministry
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Recently, several social media posts have gone viral, claiming that the Centre intends to impose a tax on water usage for farming activities. These claims have sparked concerns within the farming community and resulted in huge confusion.The Union Government has officially denied any such plan to impose a tax on water usage for agricultural purposes. The Ministry of Jal Shakti issued a clarification on June 27, 2025, labelling such reports as "inaccurate and misleading".Setting the record straight, the official PIB Fact Check account confirmed that the claim is false. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has also intervened to provide clarity on the matter. Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, in a recent press conference, reiterated that no such tax or user fee has been mandated by the central government.According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the confusion seems to stem from a misinterpretation of the Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) scheme, which is being implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).This pilot scheme aims to improve irrigation efficiency, ensure equitable water distribution, and introduce modern technology, like pressurised pipeline networks, IoT devices, and SCADA systems for better water management. More importantly, there is no provision in this project requiring farmers to pay user charges for water usage, the ministry said in the statement released on June 27, 2025.The ministry, in the statement, also emphasised a constitutional point: "agriculture" and "water" are both state subjects. This means any decision about levying water usage fees for farming lies entirely with individual state governments, not the Centre. If Water User Associations (WUAs) or other bodies eventually decide to impose charges, it would be at the discretion of the respective state governments, not due to a central directive.The ministry also urged the public and media to confirm information before disseminating it, since it can cause needless fear among farmers. Misinformation campaigns only hurt the interests of the farming community, the administration stressed, and transparency is a top concern.
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