BENGALURU: Three teams from the Central Government arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday for a four-day visit to assess drought situation in Karnataka and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to the Central teams to protect the farmers in this distress situation.
The Chief Minister explained to the Central teams that rainfall was low this season in Karnataka in about 122 years and crops have suffered damages in about 42 lakh hectares.
He told the Central team that the State Government had declared 195 taluks as drought affected and 32 other taluks of the State does not fulfill the guidelines set by the Central Government o to be fit to be declared as drought hit. “Fields at the outset appear green but in fact no water to save them,’ he explained to the Central team on the prevailing ground realities.
To the Central tea, the Chief Minister brought to their notice that Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir has had low water storage on account of low rainfall in Madikeri district the catchment area of the reservoir and also told the Central team that Karnataka is in deep trouble owing to low rainfall this season and the State needs about 33 tmc feet of water to meet its drinking water requirements alone.
Siddaramaiah said that the number of small and marginal farmers have gone up in the State in recent years and stated that the crop compensation given to farmers as per NDRF guidelines is low and wanted a hike in the crop compensation given to the small and marginal farmers.
Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, secretary of revenue department Rashmi Mahesh among other officials concerned were present.
