Central team to visit drought-hit north Karnataka districts

Two Union Agriculture department officials are in Karnataka to assess the drought and crop condition in some districts of north Karnataka.

The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre had written to the Centre to visit the places which were facing drought-like situation in certain districts. As per officials, not less than 96 taluks of 20 districts of the total 30 districts are facing a drought-like situation.

On the whole, the State is facing about 25 per cent deficit rains. No part of the State including the coastal and Malnad regions are getting sufficient rains, sources said. As many as 177 farmers have committed suicide till today for various reasons, official sources said.

IAS officers Raghavendra Singh, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Atul N Patne, Director, Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, arrived in Ballari on Monday. Along with Rajkumar Khatri, Principal Secretary, Disaster Management Cell, the officers would be visiting parts of Ballari, Koppal, Gadag and Belagavi. The team will check crop condition, water availability besides looking into the contingency plan worked out by the State.

Singh and Patne have also visited Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh and they would be travelling to other states which are facing paucity of rains.  Official sources said the government would wait till July-end to formally declare the drought-hit taluks.