Bengaluru:Heavy rainfall during the south-west monsoon has caused extensive damage to crops across Karnataka, affecting nearly 12.5 lakh hectares of agricultural and horticultural land, a joint survey by multiple departments has revealed.

Extent of damage

The survey found that 5.3 lakh hectares of crops were damaged during the first week of September, while an estimated 7.2 lakh hectares in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, and Vijayapura districts were affected in the last week of the month due to the second spell of rain.

Revenue officials said the worst-affected districts include Bagalkot, Belagavi, Bidar, Dharwad, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, and Raichur, with Kalaburagi topping the list at nearly 3 lakh hectares of crop loss, followed by Vijayapura with 2.5 lakh hectares. Other notable losses include Bidar (1.6 lakh ha), Gadag and Yadgir (1.2 lakh ha each), Dharwad (97,630 ha), Bagalkot (82,252 ha), Belagavi (59,684 ha), and Raichur (40,925 ha).

Compensation plan

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda announced that the state government will release ₹2,000 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to compensate affected farmers. Payment for the first-round of losses covering 5.3 lakh hectares has already begun, while relief for the remaining 7.2 lakh hectares is expected to commence within 10 days, following the completion of fresh joint surveys in the affected districts.

The compensation rates will be:

  • ₹17,000 per hectare for rainfed crops
  • ₹25,500 per hectare for irrigated crops
  • ₹31,000 per hectare for perennial crops

The payments will be directly credited to farmers’ bank accounts, with the entire process expected to be completed within 30 days.

Next steps

Gowda said the government has set a 10-day period to complete a fresh joint survey for Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, and Vijayapura districts to revise crop loss estimates due to the second spell of rain.

Officials emphasised that this is part of the government’s ongoing effort to provide timely financial assistance to farmers impacted by extreme weather conditions.