From Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 1: The drought situation in Karnataka as “very grim and devastating” as 156 taluks are reeling under severe water crisis due to deficient rainfall during Kharif and Rabi seasons worsening the conditions of farmers.
Revenue minister R V Deshpande has urged the Union government to immediately release the due share of the Centre as stipulated in the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Friday after meeting the 9-member Central study team on drought, the minister said that the people of the State have been severely affected by floods/landslides and severe drought conditions in consecutive seasons, during 2018-19.
Pointing out that the total estimated loss due to natural calamities including that of flood/landslides and droughts during Kharif and Rabi was about Rs 32,335 crore, the Revenue Minister said the Centre has so far released only Rs 949.49 crore as against the NDRF norms due of Rs 4460 crore.
“We have apprised the Central Study team about the non-release of the financial assistance from the Centre,” he said.
The minister said that the 9-member Inter-ministerial Central Team, led by Dr Abhilaksh Lihik had visited 14 districts of North Karnataka for two days. “The team members had interacted with the farmers, farm labourers and others during their stay and would submit a report to the Center soon” he said.
He said the state government, as per the guidelines of the NDRF, had declared 45 taluks as flood affected, 100 taluks as drought-hit during Khariff season and another 156 taluks during Rabi season.
Deshpande said during the 2018-19 Rabi season the State had suffered a crop loss in about 19.46 lakh hectares of agricultural and 23313.37 hectares of horticultural crops. “The total estimated loss in Rabi season due to agriculture and horticulture crops loss is about Rs 22384.47 crore,” the minister said.
Replying to questions he said that the State Government had without waiting for the release of Central funds taken elaborative measures to combat the drought. He said more than 377 villages are being supplied with drinking water through 706 tankers and 401 villages through private borewells by paying hire charges for supply of water.
About 10.68 lakh works have been provided and more than nine crore man-days have been generated till date under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. A total of 19.58 lakh households have been provided employment while 1.37 lakh households have completed 100 days of employment, Deshpande said.