BJP urges Karnataka Chief Minister to declare drought in affected taluks and take relief measures on war footing

Expressing concern that drought situation was intensifying in the State, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok has written to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar urging him to take immediate precautions and relief measures on a war footing to manage the situation including declaration of affected taluks as “drought-hit”.

In the letter, Mr. Ashok has stated that drought situation had gripped about 150 taluks of the State following inadequate rainfall under the southwest monsoon. Storage level in reservoirs are continuously declining, raising serious concerns that drinking water problems could become acute in the coming days, he said.

He urged the Chief Minister to direct all district in-charge Ministers and in-charge Secretaries to immediately convene district-level drought review meetings and conduct weekly progress reviews. He further demanded that the government should announce a State-wide emergency plan and formulate a comprehensive contingency plan for alternative drought-resistant short-term crops, sowing advice, seeds, fodder, livestock protection, drinking water supply, and emergency employment generation. He urged the government to identify villages that are likely to face drinking water shortages immediately, and release emergency.

The BJP leader asked the government to immediately begin a scientific survey of crop losses and provide interim relief to farmers, besides crop insurance, and necessary agricultural inputs without delay.

“While sowing has declined and delayed, crops already sown are drying up owing to a lack of moisture. This is directly impacting agricultural production and employment. Agricultural labourers are migrating to cities and neighbouring States,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that most district in-charge Ministers have neither convened comprehensive review meetings on the drought situation in their districts nor visited the taluks. The Agriculture Department is functioning without a full-time Minister. When the livelihoods of lakhs of farmers are at stake, the absence of leadership in the Agriculture Department raises questions about the administration’s priorities”, he criticised.