BENGALURU: The number of taluks to be declared drought-hit may go up as the state government has taken up a second survey to assess the situation on the ground. In the meantime, the government has called a meeting on Monday, where it is expected to come out with the list of districts that have been affected by drought-like conditions.
The second survey report is likely to be ready in a week to ten days, said Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda. According to the data from the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Centre (KSNDMC), 121 taluks are facing a deficit in rainfall, ranging between 20 and 59 per cent since the beginning of the monsoon (July 1) till date. However, the government has stated that rain deficit alone cannot be the factor in declaring an area drought-affected and a team of officials will visit villages in each district to assess crop failure and rain deficit and then prepare ground truth reports.
Byregowda, who is chairing the Monday meeting, said the ground truth survey was conducted on a certain number of taluks on August 18. “Officials will compile and submit the report. We might announce a certain number of taluks drought-hit on Monday. There is also a thinking that the list should be brought to the notice of the cabinet subcommittee members and Chief Minister Siddaramiah on whether it should be taken up before the cabinet before making the announcement. We will decide this on Monday,” he told The New Indian Express.
On the second list, he said, “It is based on the August 31 report, and will take another week to ten days to be completed. Only after compiling the list, will we get a clearer picture of the number of taluks hit by drought.”
State saw 14 drought years
Asked whether the government will bring more taluks under the drought-hit list, he said in the last 20 years, the state has witnessed 14 drought years. “We don’t know if there will be more or less taluks at this juncture. All we can say is that there will be a substantial number of taluks,” he added.
Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy had earlier said that around 130 taluks are facing a drought-like situation. “We cannot declare them drought-hit without conducting a crop survey. Officials are conducting the survey and once done, it will be placed before the cabinet subcommittee meeting to declare them drought-hit taluks,” he had said.