Bengaluru, Karnataka faces a serious drought-like situation as rainfall remains well below normal and crops dry up, prompting the government to step up measures to tackle water and fodder shortages, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday.
He said the state received 465 mm of rainfall against the expected 666 mm between June 1 and August 26, with the deficit ranging from 24 per cent in coastal Karnataka to 41 per cent in South Interior Karnataka.
"Since 1976, there has not been such low rainfall in June," Parameshwara, who holds the revenue portfolio, said, underlining the severity of the situation.
Rainfall was 31 per cent deficient in interior Karnataka, 41 per cent in South Interior Karnataka, 35 per cent in Malnad and 24 per cent in coastal Karnataka.
Parameshwara said 134 taluks were initially identified as potentially drought-affected and subjected to ground-truthing, following which 101 were found eligible for declaration as drought-affected.
Of these, 89 were classified as severe and 12 as moderate, he added.
The government will review the status of taluks every 15 days and declare additional areas drought-affected based on ground-level assessments, he said.
{{/usCountry}}The government will review the status of taluks every 15 days and declare additional areas drought-affected based on ground-level assessments, he said.
{{/usCountry}}"We have gone taluk-wise and hobli-wise. We have the hobli data with us," Parameshwara said.
He said drought declarations would be based on parameters prescribed by the Centre, such as a dry spell of at least three weeks, sowing levels, crop condition, soil moisture, groundwater levels and water availability in lakes, tanks and dams.
On agriculture, Parameshwara said only about 60 lakh hectares had been sown against a target of 84 lakh hectares, with much of the crop subsequently drying up.
He said about 50 per cent of the targeted area had been sown with ragi, 57 per cent with groundnut, 34 per cent with maize and 84 per cent with tur. The crops had been badly affected by the lack of rain, he said.
Horticultural crops, particularly chilli, onion and tomato, were affected by inadequate rainfall, he said.
Groundwater levels had fallen below the 10-year average in 132 taluks, with some areas recording a decline of more than 1,000 feet, he said.
On the reservoir situation, Parameshwara said the state's water storage was considerably lower than during the corresponding period last year.
The state had 684 TMC of water in its reservoirs against 8.157 TMC during the same period last year, he said, citing reservoir data.
In the Cauvery basin, storage was 61 per cent in Krishna Raja Sagara, 66 per cent in Kabini, 83 per cent in Hemavathi and 99 per cent in Harangi, with overall storage in the basin at 72 per cent, he said.
In the Krishna basin, storage was 100 per cent in Ghataprabha, 82 per cent in Bhadra, 90 per cent in Tungabhadra, 60 per cent in Malaprabha, 100 per cent in Narayanapura and 99 per cent in Almatti.
Overall reservoir storage in the state stood at around 76 per cent, he said.
The government was preparing for a drinking water shortage as borewells and other sources dried up. Water was being supplied through tankers in 149 gram panchayats and 48 tankers were supplying water to 114 wards in 18 local bodies.
Wherever borewells have dried up, officials have been directed to drill new ones, while water from available sources will be transported through pipelines, Parameshwara said.
According to the government's assessment, around 2,559 gram panchayats could face severe drinking water shortages.
The state was preparing for a possible fodder shortage. It currently has 151 lakh tonnes of fodder, enough for about 33 weeks, while supplies in 40 to 50 taluks would last less than 20 weeks. Pavagada taluk has enough stock for only about 11 weeks, he said.
The government has released ₹25 crore for fodder and is providing fodder seeds and other kits to farmers to grow fodder wherever water is available.
Parameshwara said 49 lakh farmers had paid crop insurance premiums and eligible crops would be covered under the scheme. He said insurance companies had been directed to cover eligible cases under the "preventive sowing" category.
To prevent distress migration, the government is increasing employment opportunities through rural works and has directed deputy commissioners and chief executive officers to provide more jobs to agricultural labourers.
Around 66 lakh person-days of employment had already been generated through such works, including activities around lakes and tanks, he said.
The government has released ₹117 crore to districts for drinking water measures and another ₹189 crore for 224 Assembly constituencies, excluding Bengaluru, where separate arrangements are being made through the civic body.
Parameshwara said the government was taking steps to ensure drinking water, fodder and employment support as drought-like conditions persisted.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.