Ballari records 49% rainfall deficit, crop damage across 71,756 hectares

Ballari district has experienced a 49% rainfall deficit, leading to significant crop damage across 71,756.5 hectares of land. The district in-charge Secretary Trilok Chandra K.V. participated in a drought management meeting on Saturday to address the situation. Inspections revealed that 67,236.5 hectares of agricultural crops and 4,520 hectares of horticultural crops were damaged, with over 50% damage reported in 96.87% of the surveyed plots.

Sandur taluk and Kampli taluk faced the most severe rainfall deficiencies of 68% and 65% respectively. The district received only 186.3 mm of rainfall from June to September 2026, compared to the normal 365.6 mm. Groundwater levels have dropped up to 8.26 meters in some areas. The administration has sought ₹79.91 crore in assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund, and 50,828 farmers have registered for the crop insurance scheme.

Approximately 204 borewells have temporarily stopped functioning due to reduced water yield. Zilla Panchayat officials reported that 53,167 families received employment under the VB-G RAM G scheme, generating 11.20 lakh person-days. Around ₹27 crores were spent on wage payments. The Animal Husbandry Department reported that there is sufficient fodder available for the next 23 weeks, with 3,334 small fodder packets already distributed.