Bengaluru: Karnataka government has added more taluks in the drought-hit after the rain deficit hits the state second year in a row. The state is facing a major water crisis after the northeast monsoon disappointed the farmers. The government has declared 88.6% of the area as dry.
156 taluks out of 176 taluks of the state are affected and have been declared drought-hit by the government.
Southwest monsoon failure has already caused a rain deficit to as many as 100 taluks and the Kharif crops were badly affected due to this. This has triggered the draught situation months ago in these taluks. On Thursday the HD Kumaraswamy government’s cabinet sub-committee has decided to declare 56 more taluks draught hit. Northeast monsoon has received 49% less rainfall and added to the worry of the farmers.
Out of 156 taluks, 95 taluks are under the “severely hit” category, and 61 taluks are under “moderately hit” category.
Last year also the state faced the draught situation when the government has declared 164 taluks draught prone.
The farmers of the state are expecting a loan waiver from the state government after they failed to produce and do the cultivation two years in a row.
Revenue minister of Karnataka RV Deshpande on Wednesday said, “The State has suffered an estimated loss of 20,000 crores owing to drought in the Kharif season. A joint survey will now be undertaken to estimate losses in the rabi season. The result of floods and the failure of the southwest and northeast monsoons will have a severe impact on the Gross State Domestic Product.”
Deshpande further stated that farmers weren’t able to sow seed in about 7 lakh hectares out of 73 lakh hectares during Kharif season because of this rain deficit.
Revenue minister explained the impact of this drought on farmers and their agricultural activities in the state.
He said, “Of the 31.80 lakh hectares that come under rabi cultivation, sowing has taken place on only 26.03 lakh hectares. In the corresponding period last year, the total area under cultivation in the rabi season was 29.09 lakh hectares,”
The drought is likely to push the state government to provide farmers with a loan waiver, and Congress which is a partner in power with JDS in the state will have to implement the farm loan waiver to the state farmers as promised and delivered in three states recently. Congress has taken up the farmer’s crisis and agrarian distress seriously after their National President Rahul Gandhi has promised to address their concern on a priority basis. After forming the government in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan first of all the loan waiver to farmers was announced in these three states respectively.
In case the Congress-JDS coalition government failed to implement the 49000 crore farm loan waiver in the state, BJP will be blazing their guns ready to launch a counter-attack on Congress and especially Rahul Gandhi who has been harboring the farmers’ agitation and launched an attack against PM Modi.
Also read:
Working on modalities, will announce farm loan waiver soon: HD Kumaraswamy
Congress cheated farmers in loan waiver schemes: Modi
UP: Farmers get loan waiver of Re 1 to Rs 18, against Rs 1 lakh promised by Yogi govt
