JOIN USDharwad tops Karnataka with maximum area-wise crop loss
Though Dharwad district does not have major rivers that cause serious flood situations (except streams like Bennihalla) and is also not a very big district geographically the district faced the most severe crop loss, in terms of the extent of area, in Karnataka due to heavy rains this year.
The number of farmers growing rain-fed crops on black cotton soil is more in the district which lacks irrigation facility in the majority of the areas. Excess rains during the harvesting time of Kharif crops, and during the initial stage of Rabi crops are the causes for continuous and huge damage of crops in October and November.
Crops on a whopping 1.55 lakh hectare of land in the district have been lost this year. Out of this, crop loss in 1.32 lakh hectare of land took place in October and November alone, as per the official figures.
With regard to the maximum area affected (crop loss) due to heavy rains this year, Belagavi stands second after Dharwad, with crops damaged in 1.50 lakh hectare of land, while Tumakuru is in third position with crop loss in 1.30 lakh hectare of land.
Crop loss due to October and November rains was less in Belagavi district, compared to the loss during the initial phase of the monsoon. However, total crop loss in Tumakuru took place in October and November itself.
Loss value highest in Belagavi
In total, the estimated value of crop loss this year is highest in Belagavi district with Rs 1,245 crore. House damage is also highest in Belagavi (11,912 houses), but infrastructure damage is maximum in Uttara Kananda district (worth Rs 829 crore). Heavy rains caused huge crop loss and other damages in other districts too across the State.
These are according to the details compiled by the government, tabled by Revenue Minister R Ashoka in the Legislative Council, in reply to different questions on rain damages.
Rs 11,000 crore crop loss in State
For crop damage (more than 33% crop loss) on total of 12.54 lakh hectare of land in the State, loss has been estimated at Rs 11,041.79 crore, and the relief claimed is Rs 1,111.84 crore.
According to the minister, the total loss due to rains in the State since July is Rs 18,293 crore, while Rs 2,124 crore financial help has been sought from the Union government as per SDRF/NDRF norms.
The input subsidy being provided by the government (maximum two hectares per beneficiary) is less for loss of rain-fed crops than irrigated crops and multi-year crops.
Why more loss?
"Kharif crops came for harvesting in October, and rains damaged them. After Rabi crops were sown, November rains totally spoiled them in the initial stage itself. Thus, heavy rains in these two months damaged both Kharif and Rabi crops in Dharwad district," observed Dharwad-based University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Agromet Department head R H Patil.
Except for green gram, other Kharif crops like soybean, onion, maize, and cotton were lost due to heavy rains during harvesting. Rabi crops like bengal gram also failed due to heavy moisture content due to rains in November, he noted.