Karnataka seeks urgent Central aid as severe drought grips the state

Karnataka is facing one of its most severe droughts in decades, with the state receiving significantly deficient and sporadic rainfall during the June-August period, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday. “The last time Karnataka faced such a severe drought was in 1976,” Parameshwara said while briefing reporters on the drought situation in the state.

The state received an average rainfall of 465 mm between June and August, against the normal 666 mm for the period. Rainfall deficiency was recorded across all regions, with interior Karnataka receiving 31 per cent less rainfall, southern interior Karnataka 41 per cent less, Malnad 35 per cent less and coastal Karnataka 24 per cent less. Around 190 taluks are facing rainfall deficiency, including 13 that have recorded severe deficiency.

Based on the parameters prescribed in the Central government’s 2020 draft drought manual, the state has undertaken an assessment of drought conditions. The parameters include a dry spell of three weeks, sowing levels, crop conditions, soil moisture and groundwater availability. “In the first phase of assessment, we have declared 134 taluks as drought-affected. Revenue officials and deputy commissioners are continuously monitoring the situation, and more taluks will be added to the severe or moderate drought categories depending on the assessment,” Parameshwara said.

Of the taluks assessed so far, 89 have been classified as facing severe drought and 12 as moderate drought. The rainfall deficit has severely affected sowing and standing crops. Against the target of around 1.10 crore hectares, only about 60 lakh hectares, or 71 per cent, has been sown. Most of the sown area has reportedly dried up. Ragi, maize, paddy and tur dal are among the major crops affected, while tomato, onion and chilli growers have also suffered losses.

Groundwater levels have also fallen sharply, with the state recording its lowest average groundwater availability in the last decade. In some areas, the water table has fallen to around 1,000 feet, Parameshwara said. The drought has also begun affecting drinking water availability. As of Thursday, 199 villages were being supplied with drinking water through tankers, while several urban and rural local bodies were also arranging tanker supplies as local water sources dry up.

The government is also concerned about the availability of fodder for livestock. Karnataka currently has around 151 lakh tonnes of fodder, which is estimated to be sufficient for about 33 weeks. In some drought-hit areas, availability has fallen to around 20 weeks, while Pavagada has fodder stocks for only about 11 weeks. Nearly 49 taluks are facing fodder shortages. The government has released ₹117 crore for drinking water requirements outside Bengaluru and allocated ₹189 crore on an assembly constituency-wise basis. Another ₹25 crore has been allocated for fodder kits containing seeds of fodder crops that can be cultivated wherever limited water is available. The Animal Husbandry Department and Karnataka Milk Federation are distributing the kits.

Deputy commissioners currently have ₹329 crore in their personal deposit accounts for use in drought-related measures. Overall, the state government has so far earmarked around R₹635 crore for drought relief and mitigation. The drought has also triggered migration from rural areas to cities, with people from districts such as Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Ballari and Koppal reportedly moving in large numbers in search of livelihoods.

Parameshwara said the government’s guarantee schemes were helping cushion the impact, but warned that sustained drought could make the situation increasingly difficult. Under the new VB-GRAM-G scheme, the government has provided 66.73 lakh person-days of employment to help sustain rural livelihoods. The works include lake development, which the government expects will provide both immediate employment and long-term water conservation benefits.

The government is also preparing to address crop insurance claims. Nearly 49 lakh farmers in the state have taken crop insurance, and the government will hold discussions with insurance companies to ensure compensation reaches affected farmers. Some farmers have also opted for insurance under preventive sowing provisions.

The state is expected to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah by the end of the month, seeking financial assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

He said Karnataka has been allocated ₹1,239 crore under SDRF relief based on the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission, with the state required to contribute ₹310 crore. The state expects the Centre to release ₹450 crore as the first instalment. Karnataka is also seeking ₹310 crore under the mitigation fund, of which ₹116 crore has been released so far.

Parameshwara said in 2023-24 the state estimated the total loss caused by the drought at around ₹39,000 crore and will ask for ₹18,000 crore from the Centre. “But after we went to the court, we finally got ₹3500 crore and said that the situation should not be repeated  this time and asked the Centre to evaluate this time and give the state the required compensation. “

Recalling the state’s previous efforts to secure drought compensation, Parameshwara said Karnataka had approached the Supreme Court the last time it faced a similar situation. “I hope the Centre will give us what we are entitled to this time,” he said. Parameshwara also appreciated opposition parties for setting up their own committees to study the drought situation, but said the government had not yet received any reports or recommendations from them.