Karnataka to submit memorandum to Centre by month-end seeking drought assistance

Karnataka plans to submit a memorandum to the Central government by the end of the month, requesting drought relief assistance. Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara announced on Thursday that 101 taluks will be declared drought-hit in the first phase. The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the State government would present the memorandum to both the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister after evaluating the overall loss resulting from the drought.

He emphasized that the 2023 drought had caused losses of approximately ₹39,000 crore in Karnataka. Earlier, the State had submitted a memorandum seeking ₹18,000 crore in assistance; however, following their protest and the Supreme Court’s intervention, ₹3,500 crore was released. The Deputy Chief Minister explained that the Centre’s drought manual employs a two-step trigger system, combining rainfall data with ground-level assessments for drought declaration.

Out of the 134 taluks that qualified under Trigger-1 parameters due to prolonged dryness for three weeks, the ground truthing exercise at the hobli level determined that 101 taluks were eligible for drought declaration. The relief measures will be reviewed every 15 days, and the number of drought-hit taluks may increase. The Deputy Chief Minister cited the Centre’s drought manual's Trigger-1 norms, which prescribe a three-week dry spell as the eligibility criteria.

If a taluk experiences a two-week dry spell and receives rain once in the third week, it will be ineligible for drought declaration despite crop damage. Between June 1 and August 26, Karnataka received only 465 mm of rainfall, a 30% deficit compared to the normal 666 mm, resulting in 190 taluks across 29 districts falling into deficit to large deficit rainfall categories.

Additionally, 74% of the State, encompassing 178 taluks, experienced severe soil-moisture stress affecting crop growth, with 86 taluks facing very severe moisture deficit and 92 taluks facing moderate deficit. Groundwater levels had declined in 132 taluks compared to the decade average, raising concerns about further depletion. The Deputy Chief Minister urged citizens to recognize the severity of the situation, prioritize groundwater conservation, and practice water conservation.

He informed the press that once a taluk is declared drought-affected, the State Disaster Response Fund can be immediately utilized for drinking water supply, while crop compensation will be addressed after submitting the memorandum to the Union government. To mitigate distress migration, Karnataka has deployed officials at bus stands and railway stations, and the government remains fully committed to undertaking drought-relief measures to protect both humans and cattle.