Karnataka faces severe drought, power and water shortage: CM Shivakumar

Karnataka is staring at a severe shortage of drinking water and electricity amid a worsening drought, with the government exploring ways to increase thermal power generation and procure additional supplies through the national grid, chief minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday, 14 September.

Speaking to reporters in his hometown Kanakapura, Shivakumar said drought had already been declared in 100 taluks and the process of extending the declaration to other areas was underway in accordance with prescribed norms.

"Groundwater levels have fallen drastically this year and crops have been destroyed. In many places, crops could not even be cultivated. Going forward, the situation indicates that there could be a severe shortage of drinking water and electricity," he said.

The chief minister said the state's electricity demand had crossed 19,000 MW the previous week, forcing the government to purchase power at Rs 11-13 per unit during evening peak hours. "I have asked our energy minister K.J. George to discuss this extensively and speak to neighbouring states about what needs to be done," he said.

Shivakumar said Karnataka was facing growing demands from investors for water, electricity and land. The government was considering increasing thermal power generation and sourcing electricity from coal-producing regions, he added.

He said the 'One Nation, One Grid' system could enable Karnataka to draw electricity generated in other parts of the country, though the state would have to bear transmission charges. The system connects India's regional power grids into a single national grid operating at a uniform frequency.

Shivakumar said the government had set aside two days during the special session of the state legislature, scheduled for 21-23 September, to discuss the problems faced by farmers because of the drought. "We want to discuss the problems faced by farmers due to the drought. That is why we have kept two days specifically for discussing the drought situation faced by farmers," he said.

He said MLAs from various parties had raised grievances and would be given an opportunity to highlight issues specific to their constituencies during the session. "We will not look at party politics in this matter. Wherever the drought is severe and wherever the parameters are met, we will declare those areas as drought-hit soon," he said.

The chief minister said the state Cabinet would hold its first meeting in the coastal region on 18 September in Dakshina Kannada district. The meeting would focus on preventing migration and harnessing the region's resources to improve people's lives, he added. "We will announce several programmes and new initiatives on that day," he said.

During his visit to his home constituency, Shivakumar said he visited a hostel and interacted with officials about the welfare of students. He said students from Kalaburagi, Raichur, Haveri and Bidar were staying in hostels in Kanakapura to pursue their education, although many had returned home for the festival.

"We need to keep an eye on how the children's education is progressing, whether the wardens are doing their job properly and whether the children are being led in any wrong direction," he said. "The parents leave their children in our (government) care and place their trust in the government, just as they would in the children's parents. We have to think about this responsibility."

Asked whether all Congress MLAs would participate in the government's 'Praja Seva' initiative, Shivakumar said they would, though some still needed to be briefed about the programme and the department concerned. The initiative seeks to bring governance closer to people, address public grievances and ensure the timely delivery of government schemes.

On filling the remaining vacant ministerial berths, Shivakumar said the decision would be taken once the party directed the government to proceed. "Whenever our party (Congress) tells us, we will do it," he said.

With PTI inputs