K’taka seeks ₹7.5k-crore for drought losses: Dy CM

Karnataka has estimated losses of about ₹46,000 crore from the first two phases of its drought and is seeking around ₹7,500 crore from the Centre under its prescribed relief norms, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday.India NewsThe figures were presented to a Central drought assessment team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, joint secretary in the Union agriculture ministry, which has begun a four day inspection of drought affected areas. The team has been split into three groups to visit North Karnataka, Central Karnataka and other parts of the state, with field assessments continuing until October 6.The first memorandum put the losses at about ₹18,000 crore, for which Karnataka sought nearly ₹3,700 crore in relief. A second assessment covering 77 additional drought affected taluks estimated another ₹27,000 crore in losses, with the state seeking about ₹3,500 crore.Parameshwara said Karnataka had confined its demand to what is allowed under the Centre’s drought relief guidelines and had not sought additional assistance outside those norms.“If we had sought additional funds outside the prescribed norms, there could have been grounds for rejection. But the State has assessed its losses and sought relief strictly in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Union Government,” he said.He urged the Central team to assess the damage based on conditions during the four months of deficient rainfall rather than allowing recent showers to alter the assessment.“The State has already suffered around 82% crop loss. Rainfall over the past two or three days will not benefit crops that have already been damaged. Nor has there been enough rain to resolve drinking water concerns. Apart from helping some grass grow in a few places, the recent rainfall offers little benefit,” Parameshwara said.He added that the rainfall deficit recorded during June, July, August and September and the resulting crop damage would remain central to the assessment.According to the Revenue Department, 217 of Karnataka’s 240 taluks have now been declared drought affected. An October 1 order added 40 taluks, including 24 classified as severely affected and 16 as moderately affected. Ground truthing will be carried out in the remaining 23 taluks, and those meeting the prescribed criteria will also be declared drought affected.The state told the Central team that about 49 lakh farmers had enrolled for crop insurance. Officials also provided details of crop damage, drinking water availability, reservoir and lake storage, fodder supplies, input subsidy and steps to prevent distress migration.Parameshwara said water was being conserved in reservoirs for drinking purposes rather than released for irrigation. The government has also undertaken works generating about 1.27 lakh person days of employment in drought affected areas.He said the state expected the Centre to provide relief based on its assessment rather than assuming that the request would be rejected.“We must fulfil our responsibility. We declared drought and submitted memoranda by following the Union Government’s own guidelines. We will neither assume beforehand that relief will be denied nor prejudge the Centre’s decision. We are asking only for the relief that Karnataka is legally entitled to under the prescribed norms,” he said.The appeal comes as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has separately asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the drought situation. In a letter to Modi, Kharge said Karnataka had recorded a 58% rainfall deficiency as of September and that all 31 districts had been affected.Kharge said more than 31 lakh farming families faced livelihood losses, with crop damage assessed across 19.52 lakh hectares at ₹18,748.23 crore. He put the overall economic loss at about ₹40,000 crore and warned that the drought could become the worst in 150 years.Parameshwara said Karnataka hoped to avoid another legal battle over drought assistance. The state had previously approached the Supreme Court after failing to receive the relief it said was due.“We hope such a situation will not arise and that the Union Government will provide Karnataka the relief it is entitled to,” he said.