Govt declares 23 more taluks drought-hit, tally rises to 124
Karnataka on Thursday expanded its drought declaration to 23 more taluks after a field assessment found them eligible for relief, adding to the 101 taluks already declared drought affected for the Kharif season.
The government of Karnataka has declared an additional 23 taluks as drought-affected, bringing the total to 124. This declaration was made after field assessments confirmed that these areas met the criteria for relief. The Revenue Department issued the order following verification and a thorough assessment by the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.
The new declaration encompasses 21 severely affected taluks and two moderately affected ones, with a six-month validity period. The severely affected taluks include Tiptur, Karatagi, Manvi, Sindhanur, Sirwar, Afzalpur, Aland, Chittapur, Kalaburagi, Yadrami, and Shahabad, among others. The moderate category includes Ponnampet and Virajpet in Kodagu.
The assessment involved examining 214 villages across 24 taluks using a mobile application, as directed by a Cabinet subcommittee on natural disasters. This move allows district administrations to initiate relief measures under the State Disaster Response Fund guidelines. Deputy commissioners have been authorized to take necessary steps, and the agriculture commissioner, horticulture director, and concerned deputy commissioners have been tasked with conducting crop loss surveys.
The drought situation in Karnataka may worsen, with the KSNDMC planning weekly reviews and the government expecting below-normal rainfall in September. The issue of relief will be discussed in the legislature during a special Assembly session starting September 21, where Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will consider demands for assistance to farmers, including a potential farm loan waiver.
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