BANGALORE: Faced with a prospect of depleted kharif crop due to a lacklustre monsoon, the state government declared 86 taluks in 20 districts as droughthit on Tuesday.
Addressing a joint media conference with Agriculture Minister S A Ravindranath, Revenue Minister G Karunakar Reddy said all the 86 taluks have received 20 per cent below normal rainfall. Moreover, all the drought-hit taluks have recorded no rainfall in the past four weeks.
Its impact on agriculture has been perceptible. Of the estimated 72 lakh hectares, kharif sowing had taken place in 52 lakh hectares so far.
Till August 5, crops in about 5,87,705 hectares have been destroyed.
The Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj had decided to release Rs 242 crore for providing drinking water to the people in affected regions, said Reddy.
“The amount could be utilised for the repair of existing borewells or drilling new wells, laying pipe lines.
Rs 16 crore was released today,” the minister said.
Rs 150 crore of funds are available with the deputy commissioners under the Calamity Relief Fund and these could also be utilised for drought relief. “All district authorities have been instructed to collect details regarding crop loss and other issues within a week. After that, a memorandum would be submitted to the Centre seeking assistance,” he said.
The government is also exploring the possibility of taking up cloud seeding to cause rainfall in the drought-hit areas. Reddy said a committee headed by the revenue secretary has been set up to study the feasibility of cloud seeding and it will submit a report within three days.
Cloud seeding refers to the weather modification technique through which chemicals like dry ice are used to increase the amount of precipitation in the air. Reddy admitted the government has delayed cloud seedling.
