Karnataka government estimates a staggering Rs 46,324.50 crore loss from the Kharif 2026 drought affecting 177 taluks. It has formally sought Rs 7,142.64 crore from the Centre's NDRF for relief as a central team begins its assessment.
The Karnataka government has estimated drought-related losses of Rs 46,324.50 crore across 177 affected taluks and sought Rs 7,142.64 crore in financial assistance from the Centre under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for relief and mitigation measures following the Kharif 2026 drought.
The State initially sought Rs 3,705.30 crore for 101 drought-affected taluks and subsequently submitted a supplementary memorandum seeking an additional Rs 3,437.34 crore after another 76 taluks were declared drought-affected, taking the total assistance sought for all 177 taluks to Rs 7,142.64 crore.
On Saturday, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar held discussions with the Centre's Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which has arrived in Karnataka to assess the drought situation and crop losses. During the meeting, the State government presented details of the drought situation and its financial requirements and submitted the memorandums before the Central assessment team. The IMCT is scheduled to undertake an on-the-spot assessment of the drought-affected areas in the State.
According to the memorandums submitted by the State, the estimated drought-related loss across the 177 affected taluks stands at Rs 46,324.50 crore. The State has sought Rs 7,142.64 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for relief and mitigation measures.
Detailed Breakdown of Financial Aid Sought
In the first memorandum covering 101 taluks, Karnataka sought Rs 3,705.30 crore. This includes Rs 2,017.26 crore for agriculture, Rs 583.04 crore for animal husbandry, Rs 805 crore for drinking water supply and Rs 300 crore towards gratuitous relief. The estimated loss in these 101 taluks was put at Rs 18,748.23 crore.
The supplementary memorandum covering the additional 76 drought-affected taluks seeks Rs 3,437.34 crore, comprising Rs 2,981.34 crore for agricultural input subsidy and Rs 456 crore for drinking water supply. The estimated crop loss in these 76 taluks has been assessed at Rs 27,576.22 crore.
Widespread Crop Damage
Damage in an additional 76 taluks
The additional 76 taluks reported crop damage over 27.57 lakh hectares, including 26.08 lakh hectares of agricultural crops and 1.49 lakh hectares of horticultural crops. Major agricultural crops affected include red gram over 6.49 lakh hectares, maize 5.31 lakh hectares, cotton 4.13 lakh hectares, sugarcane 2.80 lakh hectares, soybean 1.90 lakh hectares and green gram 1.81 lakh hectares. Among horticultural crops, onion accounted for 0.54 lakh hectares, arecanut 0.33 lakh hectares and red chilli 0.17 lakh hectares.
Damage in initial 101 taluks
In the first phase covering 101 taluks, crop damage was reported over 19.52 lakh hectares, comprising 17.85 lakh hectares of agricultural crops and 1.67 lakh hectares of horticultural, plantation and perennial crops. The estimated loss was Rs 18,748.23 crore. Major agricultural crops affected included maize, ragi, red gram and cotton, while onion, coconut and turmeric were among the major horticultural crops affected.
Rainfall Deficit and Official Declaration
The supplementary memorandum states that Karnataka received 495 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 16, against the normal 766 mm, resulting in a 35 per cent deficit. The deficit was 47 per cent in South Interior Karnataka, 42 per cent in North Interior Karnataka, 37 per cent in Malnad and 27 per cent in Coastal Karnataka.
The State declared 101 taluks drought-affected on August 27, followed by 23 more on September 17 and another 53 on September 22, taking the total to 177. Ground-truth verification is also underway in 40 more taluks.
The State has sought Central assistance, citing the extent of crop damage and the need to provide relief to farmers, livestock and drought-affected communities, besides meeting drinking water requirements in the affected areas. (ANI)
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