From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Sep 10: In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has lamented that the State has witnessed ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ Rainfall during this year’s South West Monsoon Season.
The JD(S)-Congress coalition government’s Chief Minister has in his letter, copies of which have been released to the media, said the excess and paucity of rains during this year has “led to devastating Floods and Landslides in 7 districts (Coastal and Malnad) and Severe Drought in 15 Districts of Interior Karnataka.’’
“As you are aware, more than 70 % of Karnataka state is highly Vulnerable to Drought and thus the state has been witnessing Severe Drought condition during the last 13 out of 17 years. This year also, apart from Coastal and Malnad districts, major parts of interior Karnataka are reeling under Drought condition,’’ Kumaraswamy said.
The Chief Minister said the estimated loss suffered by the State due to floods havoc and drought conditions was around Rs 8,000 crore as of now and promised to send a detailed Memorandum which will be submitted to Ministry of agriculture & farmers’ Welfare in due course.
Based on the parameters prescribed in the Drought Management Manual of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, the Chief Minister said 86 Taluks/Tahsils have been listed for Drought Declaration. As per the preliminary estimates, more than 15 lac hectares of Agriculture and Horticulture crops have severely been affected with an estimated loss of around Rs 8,000 crore as of now, he said.
Kumaraswamy explained that Interior parts of the state the rainfall was good enough in the months of May and June 2018 and resulted in normal sowing of seasonal crops.
However, due to weak monsoon and uneven distribution of rainfall over North and South Interior Karnataka resulted more than 50 % of the state is under Drought condition. The seasonal rainfall condition and resultant impact has been reported on weekly basis through Video Conference to Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.