Karnataka on Thursday expanded its drought declaration to 23 more taluks after a field assessment found them eligible for relief, adding to the 101 taluks already declared drought affected for the Kharif season.
The exercise was undertaken after dry conditions persisted across parts of Karnataka. The exercise was carried out on the directions of the Cabinet subcommittee on natural disasters headed by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara. The agriculture commissioner, director of horticulture and the concerned deputy commissioners have also been directed to conduct joint crop loss surveys and submit relief assessments to the government. The drought map could expand further. The KSNDMC will review conditions every week, with the government saying forecasts point to below normal rainfall in September. More taluks will be notified in phases if they meet the eligibility criteria. “We have to discuss it.
The latest additions followed an assessment of the 139 taluks that were not covered by the government’s first drought notification on August 27. Officials conducted ground verification in 214 villages across 24 taluks using a mobile application. The question of relief will now move into the legislature, with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar saying the three day special Assembly session beginning September 21 will discuss the drought and demands for assistance to farmers.
Shivakumar said the government would consider the demand for farm loan waivers during the session and indicated that any decision would require discussions with the Opposition and banks. “Some people have said that loans should be waived. The bankers also have to speak,” he said, adding that the latest drought assessment reports had arrived only recently. Shivakumar said bankers had agreed to give farmers one year’s time to repay their loans.
I have to take all of the BJP leaders along and go to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he told reporters on Thursday.
