BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to depute a central team to assess the prevailing drought situation in the state.
In a letter to the PM, the CM stated that the visit by a central team would provide a first-hand appreciation of the severity of the emerging drought conditions and reassure the farming community that the Centre stands with them in this difficult period. “Early assessment and timely support from the Government of India would greatly strengthen the state’s efforts to mitigate the adverse impacts of the evolving drought situation,” he said.
In line with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) long range forecast indicating below-normal rainfall during the 2026 south west monsoon owing to the strengthening El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions, Karnataka has experienced a significant rainfall deficit, the CM said. As on 11 July 2026, Karnataka has received 203 mm of rainfall against the normal of 292 mm, registering a 30% rainfall deficit, which falls under the deficit rainfall category.
The progress of the monsoon over Karnataka has been notably sluggish. The monsoon entered Karnataka and adjoining regions on June 5 and took 17 days to cover the entire state, attaining full coverage only by June 22, primarily due to a prolonged monsoon break phase.
As of 11 July 2026, 18 of the 31 districts have recorded deficit-to-large-deficit rainfall, while at the taluk level, 141 of the 240 taluks have recorded rainfall in the deficit to large-deficit category, indicating that the rainfall deficiency is widespread across the state, Shivakumar informed Modi.
As of first week of July, kharif sowing has covered only 28.36 lakh hectares, representing merely 34% of the seasonal target of 84.10 lakh hectares, reflecting the growing impact of the deficient monsoon on agriculture, he said. “The prevailing hydrological situation in the state is also a matter of serious concern.
The substantial deficit in the upper catchments of the state’s major river basins is of particular concern, as it is likely to adversely affect reservoir inflows, irrigation, drinking water security, and hydropower generation in the coming months. As on 10 July 2026, the combined storage in Karnataka’s 14 major reservoirs stands at only 303 tmcft, constituting merely 34% of the total gross storage capacity of 895.65 tmcft,” Shivakumar added.
Shivakumar informed PM that the State Government has proactively initiated all possible measures to mitigate the emerging situation and also taken a policy decision to accord the highest priority to conservation of available reservoir storage for drinking water purposes only.
FARMERS CONTINUE PROTEST IN MANDYA
MYSURU: Protests by farmers intensified across Mandya district on Tuesday as the Karnataka government continued to delay the release of water for irrigation from the KRS, triggering widespread concern over withering of standing crops, particularly sugarcane. Members of various farmers’ organisations staged demonstrations at Sanjaya Circle in Mandya and blocked the old Mysuru-Bengaluru highway demanding the immediate release of Cauvery water to irrigation canals.
Tight police security was provided at the KRS built across the Cauvery river. Pandavapura MLA Darshan Puttannaiah urged CM DK Shivakumar to intervene and ensure the release of Cauvery water from KRS for both irrigation and drinking water purposes.