CHITRADURGA: The leader of the inter-ministerial Central team to assess the damage due to drought, Neeraja Adidam, said the team will submit its report to the government within a month.
At a press conference after the team’s visit at Hirehalli tank, she said, “The team has taken note of the conditions in the district, especially the crop failure and water scarcity, which will be incorporated in the report”.
She said her team will visit Chitradurga, Ballari, Koppal, Gadag, Dharwad, Haveri and Davanagere districts from Thursday to Saturday, and will join the other two teams that are visiting other parts of the state after that.
“We will hold a high-level meeting with the state government before departing to New Delhi, where a final report on the ground situation will be prepared and submitted to the government, recommending for proper compensation,” she said.
Agriculture Department Joint Secretary Neeraja took note of the crop failure at Myaklurahalli and Balenahalli in Hiriyur taluk, where sunflower and maize crops had failed and Sanikere where the groundnut crop was destroyed. She interacted with the farmers in Telugu, to understand their problems better.
The farmers alleged that the compensation being paid at present is very less.
Myaklurahalli farmer Diwakara spoke of his agony with the team. He said suicide is the only way left for him as his crops had failed for six consecutive years due to drought.
He requested the team to recommend for proper compensation, as the cost of raising crop per acre stands at Rs 12,000 whereas the insurance companies have not paid even a single rupee during the previous year. Farmers Devamma and Dasappa made similar pleas at Balenahalli, as did Eranna of Sanikere and Thippeswamy of Giriyammanahalli.
G R Zargar, senior consultant, drinking water, New Delhi, S C Meena, Joint Director, Finance Department, New Delhi and Neeta Tahiliani, Under Secretary, Rural Development, New Delhi, were the part of the team that visited the district.