Minister Rayaraddi urges CM to declare three taluks in Gadag district as drought-hit
Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Rayaraddi has urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to declare Gadag, Ron and Mundargi taluks in Gadag distrit as drought-affected in view of the significant rainfall deficit recorded during the ongoing kharif season
Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddi has implored Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to officially declare Gadag, Ron and Mundargi taluks within Gadag district as drought-affected due to the substantial rainfall shortfall observed during the ongoing kharif season. In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister on Monday, Mr. Rayaraddi detailed the farmers' plight, attributing their severe hardship to the inadequate monsoon precipitation.
According to the figures cited in the letter, Gadag taluk received 154.9 mm of rainfall as opposed to the 304.7 mm deemed normal, with Mundargi recording 120.9 mm against the 232.6 mm standard, and Ron receiving 179.8 mm as opposed to the 338 mm norm. Consequently, the three taluks have experienced a rainfall deficit ranging from 47% to 49% compared to the typical rainfall, according to Mr. Rayaraddi.
The minister recounted a visit to the farmers' fields across all taluks in August to gauge the on-the-ground situation. He affirmed that the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has been contributing crucial rainfall and drought indicators, integral to the state's decision-making process. The minister highlighted that the Chief Minister had personally visited the farmers' fields in Gadag district, evaluated the crop condition and the damages inflicted by the rainfall deficit, as well as authorized officials who conducted field-level assessments and submitted reports to the government.
However, despite the evident rainfall deficit and the challenges confronted by farmers, the process of declaring Gadag, Ron and Mundargi as drought-affected taluks had not yet been finalized. This delay has elicited concern among farmers and MLAs from the district, Mr. Rayaraddi, who concurrently serves as the Gadag district incharge Minister, expressed, emphasizing that any further postponement could exacerbate the farmers' discontent.
The minister solicited the Chief Minister to expedite the necessary actions to classify the three taluks as drought-affected, considering the farmers' welfare and the government's obligation to sustain public trust.
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