Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought urgent intervention in Karnataka’s worsening drought situation and the release of ₹3,705.30 crore in central assistance under the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) framework.
In the letter dated October 1, Kharge asked for fresh ground assessment in drought-hit areas, inclusion of additional sub-districts in the continuing drought assessment and measures to address drinking-water shortages and the impact of low reservoir levels.
“I write to you on behalf of the people and state of Karnataka seeking your personal and urgent intervention in sanctioning relief in view of the severe drought affecting the state. As you would already be aware, Karnataka is in the grip of a severe drought which may probably turn out to be the worst drought seen in the last 150 years,” Kharge said in the letter.
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Karnataka is facing a severe rainfall deficit and widespread agricultural losses. Kharge cited state government estimates of Rs. 18,748.23 crore in crop losses across 19.52 lakh hectares. He said 101 sub-districts were already declared drought-hit and further assessments were underway, warning that the crisis was continuing to deepen.
{{/usCountry}}Karnataka is facing a severe rainfall deficit and widespread agricultural losses. Kharge cited state government estimates of Rs. 18,748.23 crore in crop losses across 19.52 lakh hectares. He said 101 sub-districts were already declared drought-hit and further assessments were underway, warning that the crisis was continuing to deepen.
{{/usCountry}}“The agrarian community of Karnataka faces a crisis of existential proportions. Drought relief is a humanitarian imperative and ought not to be governed by political differences between the Centre and the State,” said Kharge.
Kharge’s primary demand was the immediate release of ₹3,705.30 crore sought by Karnataka under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms. “I therefore earnestly request the immediate and complete release of the central financial assistance of Rs. 3,705.30 crore sought by the State Government from the NDRF,” said Kharge.
He also asked the Centre to deploy another Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) specifically to Kalyana-Karnataka, citing the severity of the situation there. Three central teams were already scheduled to visit different parts of Karnataka for drought assessment from October 3 to 7.
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Kharge further urged the Centre to base input-subsidy calculations for small and marginal farmers on updated Bhoomi land records. “Calculate input subsidy on the basis of Karnataka’s updated Bhoomi land records rather than the outdated 2015 to 16 Agriculture Census, so that no genuinely eligible farmer is excluded,” he said.
On water security, Kharge asked the Centre to consider enhanced assistance for drinking water and the cost of substitute power, pointing to low reservoir levels in the Cauvery basin and the impact on hydel power generation. He said more than 2,000 gram panchayats were expected to face drinking-water stress from February 2027 onwards.
“Ensure that the assistance due to Karnataka is released on merit and with the utmost urgency, uninfluenced by political considerations.”
Kharge’s letter said Karnataka received 477mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 31 against a normal 691mm, a deficit of 31%. It described this as the state’s second-lowest cumulative southwest monsoon rainfall in the past 50 years.
Highlighting the issue of water scarcity, Kharge said Karnataka’s 13 major reservoirs had a combined storage of 668.95 TMC against a capacity of 865.23 TMC as of August 31.
The Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir, which supplies drinking water to Bengaluru, was at 64% of capacity.
Kharge said that Karnataka’s updated Bhoomi records showed that 73% of farmers in the state held less than two hectares, while the older Agriculture Census was still being used to calculate assistance. “Continued reliance on decade-old Census data would wrongly exclude thousands of genuinely eligible small and marginal farmers from relief,” Kharge said.
“I therefore urge the Government of India to accord the state’s memorandum the highest priority, and I trust that you will intervene personally to ensure that the assistance sought is sanctioned and released without further delay. An expeditious response would provide timely sustenance, fodder, water and livelihood security to millions of our affected citizens,” said Kharge.