Rain deficit: Crisis-hit Karnataka government asks farmers to stop sowing

The government is asking farmers in the Cauvery basin to stop sowing for the season as Karnataka has slipped back into deficit rainfall after receiving good downpour in July, with a top minister describing the situation as a "crisis."

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), the state overall has seen a 63 per cent deficit in rainfall between August 1 and August 5. The state got 29 per cent excess rainfall in July.

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Speaking to DH, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the water resources minister, said the focus right now is to safeguard drinking water.

“I have instructed the officials concerned to create awareness among farmers not to take up further sowing of crops. We have a crisis in the Cauvery basin this year. We’re urging farmers not to build pressure on us for more water,” Shivakumar said.

Water to TN

As far as releasing water to Tamil Nadu is concerned, Shivakumar said the state will abide by directions of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

One revenue official termed the crisis in the Cauvery basin as “a bit alarming”.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted below normal rainfall for the rest of the monsoon season, the official said. “Cauvery basin is staring at a crisis as the Malnad region has seen poor rainfall this monsoon.”

As on August 5, the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir had 71 per cent water storage with 35.33 tmc ft against a gross storage capacity of 49.45 tmc ft. The storage was 48.14 tmc ft in the corresponding period last year.

In the South West monsoon season (June 1-August 5), the Malnad region has seen an overall rain shortage of 29 per cent, the largest deficit across all regions.

No drinking water shortage

According to sources in the water resources department, there is no crisis for drinking water at present, but crop cultivation would suffer.

“Crops sown in the last week of August will be impacted as water inflow is extremely poor. In such a situation, we usually release water into canals on a staggered basis,” one official explained.

Explaining the impact this would have on crop cultivation, farmers’ activist Kuruburu Shantakumar said this time the crop sowing was late because of the delay in the South West monsoon.

“We’re still sowing crops. We’re yet to take up paddy sowing. The irrigation department has not yet released water into the canals. If water isn’t released soon, at least 12 lakh acres of paddy cultivation in Mandya, Mysuru and Hassan will be hit,” he said.

The agriculture department would assess the situation by August 15 when the sowing window closes. After that, if needed, the government will advise farmers to go for alternative crops, agriculture secretary V Anbukumar said.