Karnataka: Three central teams to visit drought-hit districts

Ballari: Three central teams are set to embark on a comprehensive tour across the drought hit districts of Karnataka from October 5.

The teams comprising ten members will collaborate with local officials, conducting field visits to agricultural areas to gain an in-depth understanding of the prevailing conditions.

The three teams will visit the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Management Center on October 5 morning, followed by a briefing on the drought situation at Vidhana Soudha.

The first team, headed by Agriculture Ministry Joint Secretary Ajeet Kumar Sahu, will commence their visits in Belagavi and Vijayapura on October 6, before proceeding to Bagalkot and Dharwad on October 7.

The second team, under the leadership of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Additional Advisor D Rajashekhar will tour Gadag and Koppal districts on October 6, and then explore Vijayanagara and Ballari districts on the following day.

The third team, led by Jal Aayog Director Ashok Kumar, will embark on visits to Chikkaballapur and Tumkur districts on October 6, followed by assessments in Chitradurga and Davangere on October 7, culminating with a visit to Bengaluru Rural district on October 8.

On October 9, all three teams will gather detailed insights from officials before heading back to Delhi.

Agriculture Minister N Chelavarayaswamy emphasized the importance of providing detailed information to the central teams, noting instances of crop damage and reduced yields in certain areas.