Bengaluru: Karnataka is staring at a drought of a magnitude not seen in nearly 150 years, with the state receiving just 530mm of rainfall against the normal 816mm this monsoon, a deficit of 35%. Of 240 taluks, 217 face rainfall deficiency.Responding to the debate in the assembly on the situation, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, also revenue minister, said this year’s crisis is worse than the 2023 drought, which was described as the “worst in 124 years”.“Since 1875 when the British established the meteorological department, the drought in 2023 was described as the worst in 124 years,” Parameshwara said. “By the end of Sept 2023, rainfall was 25% below normal. This year, rainfall deficiency was 42% in June, 29% in July and 23% in Aug, before widening to 58% till Sept 24. Of 217 taluks facing rainfall deficiency, 27 are suffering severe deficiency. All 31 districts have been affected, with Vijayanagara recording the highest deficit at 63%. In many parts of the state, rainfall deficit is between 56% and 85% in Sept, a crucial month for crops.”Farmers have sown only 68.7 lakh hectares against a target of 84.1 lakh hectares. “In 11 districts, sowing is below 75%. Even in areas where sowing has been completed, a significant portion of crops has withered,” Parameshwara said.Horticulture has also been affected, with the area under crops such as potato, beans, carrot and tomato declining from the usual 4.4 lakh hectares to around 3.8 lakh hectares.“It is no longer a question of how much rain we’ve received; it’s what crops will survive, how much water is underground and how long rural livelihoods can withstand the stress,” he said.The govt has pegged overall economic loss at Rs 40,000 crore. A joint survey by the revenue, agriculture and horticulture departments in 101 taluks declared drought-hit found crop damage exceeding 33% across 19.5 lakh hectares.“Of this, 17.8 lakh hectares comprise agricultural crops, while another 1.7 lakh hectares cover horticultural, plantation and perennial crops. The estimated crop loss stands at Rs 18,748.2 crore,” Parameshwara said.Another 116 taluks are being assessed, potentially taking the drought-affected area to 217 taluks.The state has released Rs 306 crore for drinking-water measures since April and drawn up action plans for 6,774 works, of which 5,072 have been completed. Authorities have drilled 2,519 borewells, striking water in 2,178. In areas where groundwater sources have failed, the govt is relying on tankers and hired private borewells to maintain supply.Karnataka has sought Rs 3,705.3 crore from Centre under disaster-relief norms. It includes Rs 2,017.6 crore as crop-loss input assistance, Rs 583 crore for livestock, Rs 805 crore for drinking-water supply and Rs 300 crore as gratuitous relief for affected families. A central team is expected to visit the state to assess the situation, though a date hasn’t been announced.The state also renewed its demand for a review of the Drought Management Manual-2020 and NDRF norms, arguing that the existing framework does not adequately account for increasingly erratic rainfall patterns.
