Karnataka to declare 101 taluks drought-hit as 32 more remain under review

The Karnataka government has decided to declare 101 taluks drought-hit, while another 32 that have met the initial eligibility criteria are being reassessed, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference at Vidhana Soudha, Parameshwara described the current conditions as unprecedented and said the government was spending Rs 635 crore on drought management. He maintained that there was no shortage of funds to protect residents and livestock from the impact of the rainfall deficit.

Karnataka received 465 mm of rain between 1 June and 26 August against the normal 666 mm, resulting in a deficit of 30 per cent. Twenty-nine districts and 190 taluks have recorded deficient to large-deficient rainfall, while 12 taluks are experiencing a severe shortfall.

As of 26 August, 134 taluks had witnessed dry spells lasting more than three consecutive weeks, making them eligible for an assessment under Trigger-1 of the Centre’s Drought Manual, 2020.

The state subsequently carried out ground verification using the prescribed assessment parameters and found 101 taluks eligible to be declared drought-hit. Another 32 taluks that qualified under Trigger-1 are being reassessed.

The conditions in the 101 taluks will be reviewed every 15 days after the formal declaration. Similar verification has been conducted at the hobli level, and the data is being examined.

Under the drought manual, Trigger-1 applies to areas experiencing dry spells of at least three consecutive weeks. Trigger-2 assesses sowing coverage, crop health, soil moisture, groundwater levels and water availability in tanks and reservoirs.

Parameshwara alleged that limitations in the existing assessment criteria had made it difficult to declare certain areas drought-hit. He said Karnataka had repeatedly asked the Centre to revise the norms, but its concerns had not been addressed.

Sowing had been completed across 60 lakh hectares as of 21 August, accounting for 71 per cent of the targeted 84.10 lakh hectares. Of Karnataka’s 240 taluks, 104 recorded sowing below 75 per cent, while coverage in 42 taluks remained below 25 per cent.

With IANS inputs