Karnataka faces severe rainfall deficit, drought declaration likely soon

Karnataka deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara this week painted a grim picture of the state’s drought situation, attributing the deficient rainfall to Super El Niño and warning that the situation could worsen in the coming weeks, even as the government plans a 60-day cloud-seeding operation in the coming days to generate rain.

Speaking in the legislative council before it was adjourned sine die by chairman Saleem Ahmed, Parameshwara said Karnataka had recorded its lowest rainfall for the June-August period in 50 years.

The state should have received 654 mm of rainfall between 1 June and 24 August, but received only 454 mm — a deficit of 31 per cent, he said. When broken down, the deficit was 31 per cent in north interior Karnataka, 41 per cent in south interior Karnataka, 35 per cent in Malnad and 26 per cent in the coastal region. Of the state's 240 talukas, 175 were facing a rainfall deficit, including 14 with a severe deficit.

Citing satellite-based assessments by weather agencies in India and abroad, Parameshwara said the state was likely to receive deficient rainfall for the rest of August and in September as well. "In such a natural emergency, it is imperative that we all work together. I am making this statement with an appeal that we must collectively address the situation," he said.

As of 14 August, only 60 lakh hectares had been sown against the state's target of 84.10 lakh hectares, with 71 per cent of the target achieved. Horticulture crops have also been affected, with sowing completed on 2.45 lakh hectares against a target of 4.36 lakh hectares.

Even crops that have been sown are showing poor growth because of inadequate rainfall, Parameshwara said. Farmers have been advised to opt for short-duration varieties that can withstand rainfall deficits, and seeds have been distributed.

Groundwater is under severe stress in 132 talukas, with levels expected to decline further. The government is undertaking groundwater development programmes and has urged people to prioritise conservation.

Reservoir levels are also a concern. The Krishnaraja Sagar Dam on the Cauvery in Mandya district was at only 61 per cent of its capacity, while storage in minor irrigation and Zilla Panchayat tanks was negligible, he said.

The government is supplying drinking water through 149 tankers to 758 villages and has hired 714 private borewells. In urban areas, tankers are supplying water to 114 wards under 18 local bodies, with 18 private borewells also hired.

The government estimates that 2,059 gram panchayats could face drinking water shortages next summer and has begun preparations accordingly. To prevent migration caused by drought, 16,460 works have been taken up under the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) (VB-GRAMG), generating 65.1 lakh person-days since 1 July. Most of the works are aimed at addressing the drought situation, Parameshwara said.

For livestock, the state has 152 lakh tonnes of fodder, sufficient for 33 weeks. Stocks are sufficient for 25 weeks in 44 talukas and 20 weeks in 17 talukas.

The government has released Rs 25 crore for fodder seed kits for farmers with access to water, while KMF is also providing kits. A total of Rs 306 crore has been released for drinking water — Rs 117 crore to all 31 districts and another Rs 189 crore at the rate of Rs 1 crore per rural constituency.

Parameshwara said there was no shortage of funds to tackle the drought and that the government was responding to the situation on a war footing.

On the demand to declare drought in the state, Parameshwara said the 2020 Drought Manual issued by the Centre was delaying an immediate declaration.

Ground-truthing has been completed in 102 eligible talukas, he said, adding that the matter would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting, after which these talukas would be declared drought-affected. A memorandum would subsequently be submitted to the Centre.

Ground-truthing is a continuous process, he said, and the remaining talukas would also be assessed before further action is taken. Parameshwara also said several provisions of the new Drought Manual were not favourable to farmers and that the state government had written to the Centre several times seeking relaxation of the guidelines.

He appealed to opposition members to support the state on the issue. Parameshwara made a similar statement in the Legislative Assembly.

With PTI inputs