Bengaluru: Karnataka has added 53 more taluks to its drought-hit list, taking the total number of drought-affected taluks in the state to 177, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr G Parameshwara said during the Legislative Council session on Tuesday.
The government said the assessment is continuing and the number of drought-hit taluks could rise to around 200 depending on ground conditions and further evaluation. The declarations are being made based on prescribed drought assessment parameters and the Union government’s Manual for Drought Management, 2020.
53 more taluks added
The latest addition of 53 taluks follows two earlier phases of drought declaration. Initially, 101 taluks were declared drought-affected, followed by another 23 taluks after further assessment. The addition of 53 more has now taken the total to 177.
Dr Parameshwara said the assessment process would continue based on rainfall deficiency, crop damage and other prescribed parameters. He said taluks cannot be declared drought-hit without meeting the criteria, as the state has to follow the prescribed guidelines to qualify for drought relief from the Union government.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) had earlier identified 53 taluks for ground verification after analysing rainfall, soil moisture and crop-index data. Field verification was undertaken to assess actual crop damage. A taluk can be considered drought-hit when crop loss meets the prescribed threshold, while higher levels of crop damage can result in classification under the severe drought category.
Rainfall deficit reaches 36%
According to Dr Parameshwara, Karnataka normally receives around 852 mm of rainfall, but only 642 mm has been recorded during the period under assessment, resulting in an average rainfall deficit of 36%.
The deficit has varied considerably across regions. South Interior Karnataka recorded a deficit of 46%, followed by North Interior Karnataka at 44%, Malnad at 38% and the coastal region at 28%.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the rainfall shortage has had a significant impact on agricultural activity and farmers’ livelihoods.
In several areas, farmers reportedly sowed crops after receiving initial rainfall. However, when the rains stopped, the germinated crops dried up. Some farmers attempted sowing again after rainfall returned, but those crops also suffered damage.
Crop losses reported across the state
Dr Parameshwara told the House that Karnataka has witnessed substantial crop losses amid the rainfall deficit. He attributed the severe conditions to the effects of the Super El Niño phenomenon and said crop loss had reached around 82% according to the state’s assessment cited during the discussion.
The government has maintained that drought assessment is a continuous process and that additional taluks can be included if they subsequently meet the required criteria.
The first phase of drought declaration in August covered 101 taluks, of which 89 were classified as severely affected and 12 as moderately affected. The government had also authorised district administrations to undertake relief and response measures under applicable State Disaster Response Fund norms.
Government explains drought declaration process
Dr Parameshwara said the government was following the drought declaration guidelines issued by the Union government in 2020.
He explained that declaring every taluk as drought-affected without satisfying the prescribed criteria could create difficulties in securing financial assistance from the Centre.
The state government, he said, would continue its assessment and take steps to ensure that relief reaches farmers and other affected sections.
The government has also indicated that further memoranda seeking assistance from the Union government would incorporate losses from taluks added during subsequent phases. Earlier, the state had sought around Rs 3,500 crore in relief for the first 101 drought-affected taluks, where estimated losses were around Rs 18,000 crore.
Sharavana seeks immediate relief for farmers
During the special session, JD(S) MLC T A Sharavana urged the state government to take immediate measures to address the difficulties faced by farmers.
Sharavana said the drought situation was severely affecting farmers and called for concrete relief measures rather than limiting the response to discussions about the crisis.
He also referred to farm loan waivers announced during the tenure of former Chief Minister and current Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, claiming that loans worth around Rs 25,000 crore had been waived during Kumaraswamy’s tenure as Chief Minister.
Sharavana called for similar firm measures to support farmers and urged the state government to lead an all-party delegation to the Centre to seek assistance for Karnataka.
Assessment to continue
The state government has indicated that the drought assessment will continue based on ground-level conditions. Earlier statements from the Revenue Department and KSNDMC had also indicated that weekly reviews would continue through the drought assessment period and that additional taluks could be notified in phases if they meet the eligibility criteria.
With 177 taluks now officially classified as drought-affected and the government indicating that the number could approach 200, Karnataka’s drought situation remains a major concern for the agricultural sector. The continuing assessments will determine which additional areas qualify for drought declaration and the relief measures that can be extended to affected farmers.