Karnataka will revise list of drought-hit taluks; drought being declared as per Central norms, say Shivakumar and Parameshwara

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Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar interacting with villagers during a visit to various drought-affected areas in Gadag on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: special arrangement

The Karnataka government plans to revise the list of drought-hit taluks after conducting additional surveys, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said in Gadag on Tuesday.

“We are supposed to act as per the Union government’s calamity relief guidelines. All revisions will be subjected to these guidelines,” he told farmers who urged him to include all taluks of Gadag district in the list.

“I am watching the drought situation across the State. I will visit more areas. After studying the situation on the ground, a report will be submitted to the Union government,’’ he said.

Mr. Shivakumar visited farms in Kadampura, Hulakoti, Kurtakoti villages and interacted with locals. Agricultural labourers who met him complained that they were not getting as many days of work under VB-G RAM G as they were getting under MGNREGA. .

Meanwhile, in south Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara conducted a drought assessment in Kattemalalavadi village in Hunsur taluk.

He too said that drought-hit areas have to be declared as per the norms prescribed by the Centre to become eligible for compensation, and that the State government had therefore declared 101 taluks drought-affected. The situation would be reviewed again after a week and additional areas that meet the criteria would be included in the drought-hit list.

“We cannot get compensation if drought is declared under State laws. It has to be done according to the Centre’s norms. Therefore, 101 taluks have been declared drought-affected,” he explained.

The State government would submit a comprehensive drought report to the Centre within two weeks. Central teams would subsequently visit the affected areas and conduct an assessment, following which compensation would be released, he added.

Ministers have been assigned different districts to assess the situation as directed by the Chief Minister. After the assessments, the government would collectively review the situation and decide on measures to support farmers, including insurance-related assistance, Dr. Parameshwara said.

Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara said that international weather forecasts indicated that rainfall could completely cease during the first or second week of September. The State was witnessing an unusual situation owing to the El Niño phenomenon, he said, adding that it was difficult to predict whether there would be sufficient rainfall in the coming days. The government would accordingly decide on further assistance to farmers, he added.

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