Drought-hit Karnataka
Credit: DH Photo
The state government has identified an additional 21 taluks as drought-hit, of which as many as seventeen taluks have severe drought, according to a government order in this regard.
This brings the total number of drought-hit taluks in the state to 216. Earlier, the government had declared drought in 195 taluks, based on scanty rainfall and crop loss this monsoon. In the meantime, of the 195 taluks declared as drought-hit, the government took up a second round of ground-truthing assessment in 22 taluks (of the 34 taluks that had moderate drought), as a result of continued adverse climatic conditions here. Of these, the government has now identified 11 as severely drought-hit and the rest as moderate drought. Survey was also taken up in an additional 21 taluks.
In all, the government has now declared drought in 216 of the total 236 taluks in the state. Of these, 189 taluks have severe drought and 27 have moderate drought.
The government will submit a memorandum to the Centre on Monday seeking drought relief for the additional taluks, Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Saturday.
The government had sent a first memorandum in September seeking compensation for 195 drought-hit taluks. The Centre responded to it and sent a team of officials to the state to survey the ground reality.
The government will also seek an appointment with the union home and agriculture minister once again, as the Centre has not responded to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s previous request in this regard, the minister said.
Meanwhile, in a review meeting of the revenue department on Friday, the minister lamented that the Centre did not have accurate data about small and marginal farmers in the state, owing to which the state was unable to get the right amount of compensation for drought.