Bengaluru, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said drought-related losses in the state could reach between ₹ 50,000 crore and ₹ 60,000 crore.
Some taluks in the coastal region do not appear to be facing such conditions. Ahead of the assessment of drought-hit areas by 3 Central teams, Parameshwara said 217 taluks had been declared drought-hit. “The assessment process for the remaining 40 taluks, declared drought-hit on October 1, is also underway. Once the losses across all these taluks are consolidated, the total estimated loss could range between ₹ 50,000 crore and ₹ 60,000 crore,” he said. Responding to a question about the 22 taluks that have not yet been declared drought-hit, Parameshwara said ground-truthing would also be conducted there. “The assessment may reveal that one, 2 or 3 of these taluks are drought-hit.
Appropriate action will be taken based on the actual situation established after the assessment,” he said. Parameshwara said the recent rainfall would not affect the assessment for drought relief.
3 teams comprising Joint Secretaries and officials from various Central government ministries, including the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, are arriving in the state, according to him. The state will seek the relief due to it under the Central government’s guidelines, he said.
