The decline in agriculture-related labour activities due to the prevailing drought in the State has prompted the government to increase the number of programmes and work hours under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.
Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with the chief executive officers (CEO) of the zilla panchayats on Wednesday to review drought relief works, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister H K Patil said the government would take steps to ensure at least 20 to 100 people are provided employment in every gram panchayat for the next few months.
Karnataka is facing a rainfall deficit of 28 per cent and 126 of the 176 taluks have been declared drought-hit.
Patil said the minimum number of days under the employment guarantee scheme will be enhanced from 100 days to 150 days in drought-hit pockets. As many as 10,000 works will be taken up under the scheme. Besides employment generation, top priority will be accorded to drinking water. Energisation of the existing borewells will be taken up on a war footing.
The department has also come out with detailed guidelines for the ZP CEOs on fixing responsibilities and meeting the deadlines with regard to drought relief work.
The minister said Rs 473 crore grants under the 14th Finance Commission were credited to the accounts of the gram panchayats on Wednesday.
State not doing enough, says Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa
Karnataka Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Wednesday took a dig at the government for not effectively implementing drought-relief works in the State, reports DHNS from Bengaluru.
The situation is grim in the drought-affected areas. People are suffering due to the absence of rainfall. All the ministers should have toured the State and ensured that the people get proper relief. But so far, the government has not even obtained a detailed report from the respective deputy commissioners, he told reporters here.
The situation warrants the setting up of a committee of both Houses of the State legislature to assess the impact, he said, adding that he would speak to Law Minister T B Jayachandra on the possibility of convening a special session of the legislature to discuss drought by the end of the month.
Plans before the government
Raj Kumar Khatri,
principal secretary, Revenue Department (Drought Monitoring), says his priority is to meet the demand for drinking water. Later comes the creation of job opportunities to check migration of labourers. According to him, the government has taken the following actions so far:
Taluks where water level has dipped have been sanctioned Rs 50 lakh each
Water to be supplied through tankers in 813 villages as no alternatives are left
Water supplied through tankers in 61 urban local body areas
Energise water supply schemes of RD&PR on a priority basis
Every deputy commissioner has been provided with Rs 2 crore to provide drinking water
The loss due to drought is estimated at Rs 11,000 crore
The State has sought Rs 3,050 crore from the Centre for drought relief
The Centre is expected to send a team to assess the drought situation
A peek into dry spell in Karnataka
Rainfall situation
Region Average Actual Departure
rain rain (in per cent)
South Interior 224 230 3%
North Interior 350 200 -43%
Malnad 1,338 981 -27%
Coastal 2,729 1,998 -27%
State 680 492 -28%
(all in mm)
Some facts...
Total number of major multipurpose water reservoirs - 13
Total water storage in reservoirs - 56 pc
Water storage in Linganamakki and Supa hydel reservoirs - 44 pc
Maximum water storage capacity - 860 tmc
At present, the water storage is 478 tmc
Total power generation capacity in the State - 10,600 MW
Of these, hydel power-generating projects capacity is 3,562 MW
At present, hydel power generation has dipped to 50 pc
Central grid can offset the shortage by providing an additional 1500 MW
The State will have to purchase power by paying more