Karnataka Dy CM seeks Centre's urgent aid as drought situation worsens

Karnataka Deputy CM G Parameshwara has written to Union Ministers Amit Shah and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeking urgent central aid for the worsening drought. The state has declared 177 taluks as drought-hit and seeks over Rs 7,142 crore in relief.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara has written separate letters to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, seeking urgent assistance from the Centre as the drought situation in the state continues to worsen. In his letters, Parameshwara highlighted the impact of drought on farmers and rural livelihoods and stressed the need for coordinated action by the state and Union governments to ensure timely and adequate relief for affected farmers.

Scale of the Drought

The Karnataka government had earlier submitted its Kharif 2026 Drought Memorandum to the Centre, seeking financial assistance of Rs 3,705.30 crore for 101 drought-affected taluks. Following a further scientific assessment, another 76 taluks were declared drought-affected in the second phase, taking the total number of drought-affected taluks in the state to 177. Ground-truthing is currently underway in another 40 taluks. Based on the continuing assessment, the number of drought-affected taluks is likely to cross 220 by the end of the monsoon season, the state government said.

Crop Loss Details

Crop-loss assessment carried out in the newly declared 76 drought-affected taluks has found damage to agricultural crops across 26.08 lakh hectares and horticultural crops across 1.49 lakh hectares. The extent of crop damage ranges from 33 per cent to 100 per cent, with a large part of the affected area recording losses of more than 50 per cent. Among the major agricultural crops affected are tur, maize, cotton, sugarcane, soybean and green gram. Horticultural crops, including onion, arecanut and red chilli, have also suffered damage.

Overall, crop loss has been reported across 27.57 lakh hectares in the 76 newly declared drought-affected taluks, with the economic loss estimated at Rs 27,576.2 crore based on the cost of cultivation. Under the existing State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, the requirement towards input subsidy has been estimated at Rs 2,981.34 crore. Across all 177 drought-affected taluks, crop loss has been reported over nearly 47.09 lakh hectares, with the estimated economic loss reaching Rs 46,324.5 crore. The state government said that based on the ongoing assessment, the total crop loss during Kharif 2026 is likely to exceed 55 lakh hectares. Through the two phases of drought declaration, Karnataka has sought Rs 7,142.64 crore under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms. Of this, Rs 4,998.60 crore has been sought towards input subsidy, while Rs 2,144.04 crore has been sought for measures including fodder and drinking water supply.

Plea for Revision of Relief Norms

In his letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Parameshwara sought an early revision of the items and norms of assistance under the SDRF and NDRF, particularly the norms relating to input subsidy for farmers. He said the existing input subsidy was inadequate in comparison with the present cost of cultivation and covered only a small part of the actual losses suffered by farmers. With the 16th Finance Commission period having begun, Parameshwara urged the Union Government to take up the long-pending revision of relief norms on priority. He stressed that the relief provided to farmers should more realistically reflect the current cost of cultivation and the actual economic impact of crop losses. The state government has already submitted its detailed views and justification to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the revision of these norms, according to the letters.

Request to Expedite Assessment and Relief

In a separate letter to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Parameshwara welcomed the arrival of the Central team in Karnataka to assess the drought situation. Considering the severity and scale of the drought, he requested that the Central assessment process be expedited and Karnataka's request for assistance be considered so that relief can be released at the earliest. He stressed that faster assessment and timely relief were crucial for farmers facing distress due to widespread crop losses. The state government, he said, was extending all possible assistance and taking necessary measures to reduce the impact of the drought.

"Considering the scale and severity of the present drought, it is necessary for the State and Union Governments to work in coordination. Our farmers must receive timely and adequate support. The relief provided should reflect the actual losses they have suffered," Parameshwara said.

The Deputy Chief Minister expressed confidence that the Union Government would respond positively to Karnataka's request and take early steps to strengthen the relief norms and expedite the drought relief process. (ANI)

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