<p class="bodytext">Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Monday that sixty-two out of the 113 taluks in the state where ground truthing (crop survey) was done qualify for drought. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The Cabinet sub-committee on disaster management, headed by Gowda, has decided to take up a re-survey in the rest of the taluks as the crop crisis has “worsened” after the initial survey. </p>.Citizens block Belagavi-Panaji National Highway, demand filling of potholes.<p class="bodytext">Gowda said the first survey of the 113 taluks was taken up based on the rain deficit as of August 19. In these taluks, there was a 60% rain deficit and a dry spell for three weeks, qualifying them for the survey as per the Centre’s norms. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Among them, 62 taluks qualify for drought, based on the ground-truthing survey. An extent of 13,000 hectares was surveyed and South interior Karnataka seemed to have been hit more than other regions, according to the minister. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“However, we have received inputs from both local representatives and farmer leaders from taluks that did not qualify for the drought that the crop situation has worsened after the ground-truthing. Hence, the Cabinet sub-committee has decided to take up a re-survey in these taluks,” the minister said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">In addition, a fresh survey will be taken up in 83 taluks that qualify for ground-truthing as of September 2, he added. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee has instructed the DCs to complete the survey within a week and the official drought declaration will be done for all the qualifying taluks put together after the report is ready. </p>.<p class="bodytext">These reports will also be placed before the Cabinet for ratification, only after which drought will be officially declared, Gowda said. Once that’s done, a drought memorandum will be sent to the Centre and a task force will be set up in drought-hit taluks, headed by the local representatives. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As on date, there is an overall rain deficit of 26% in the state. Since the sowing window is over, even if there are rains now, it will not help in the recovery of crop losses now, Gowda pointed out. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, while there is no larger drinking water crisis in the state, 37 taluks and 105 villages had drinking water issues and the government is ready with a contingency plan in case the problem deepens, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said. </p>
<p class="bodytext">Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Monday that sixty-two out of the 113 taluks in the state where ground truthing (crop survey) was done qualify for drought. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The Cabinet sub-committee on disaster management, headed by Gowda, has decided to take up a re-survey in the rest of the taluks as the crop crisis has “worsened” after the initial survey. </p>.Citizens block Belagavi-Panaji National Highway, demand filling of potholes.<p class="bodytext">Gowda said the first survey of the 113 taluks was taken up based on the rain deficit as of August 19. In these taluks, there was a 60% rain deficit and a dry spell for three weeks, qualifying them for the survey as per the Centre’s norms. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Among them, 62 taluks qualify for drought, based on the ground-truthing survey. An extent of 13,000 hectares was surveyed and South interior Karnataka seemed to have been hit more than other regions, according to the minister. </p>.<p class="bodytext">“However, we have received inputs from both local representatives and farmer leaders from taluks that did not qualify for the drought that the crop situation has worsened after the ground-truthing. Hence, the Cabinet sub-committee has decided to take up a re-survey in these taluks,” the minister said. </p>.<p class="bodytext">In addition, a fresh survey will be taken up in 83 taluks that qualify for ground-truthing as of September 2, he added. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The committee has instructed the DCs to complete the survey within a week and the official drought declaration will be done for all the qualifying taluks put together after the report is ready. </p>.<p class="bodytext">These reports will also be placed before the Cabinet for ratification, only after which drought will be officially declared, Gowda said. Once that’s done, a drought memorandum will be sent to the Centre and a task force will be set up in drought-hit taluks, headed by the local representatives. </p>.<p class="bodytext">As on date, there is an overall rain deficit of 26% in the state. Since the sowing window is over, even if there are rains now, it will not help in the recovery of crop losses now, Gowda pointed out. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Further, while there is no larger drinking water crisis in the state, 37 taluks and 105 villages had drinking water issues and the government is ready with a contingency plan in case the problem deepens, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge said. </p>