161 severe, 34 moderate drought-hit taluks in Karnataka

BENGALURU: The State Government has declared 195 taluks as drought-hit owing to weak monsoon this season and among them 161 of them are tagged as severe drought-hit and 34 taluks as moderate drought-hit, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. A proposal on drought-hit taluks will be submitted to the Central Government.

As per the declaration, out of 236 taluks in Karnataka, 195 are drought-hit taluks spread across 31 districts. The order on drought-hit taluks will be in force for a period of six months or until further orders from the State Government.

The drought order stated that monsoon arrival was delayed by about a week in June in Karnataka and rainfall in June was recorded at 56 deficit rainfall than in normal rainfall years.

However, rainfall improved in July and the State recorded 29 percent excess rainfall and again weak monsoon prevailed over the State in August and recorded a deficit rainfall of about 73 per cent than that of normal years. The poor rainfall in August in Karnataka was the lowest rainfall recorded in the last 125 years, said the order.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the drought declared taluks in Karnataka qualified to be declared as drought-hit as per the guidelines of National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Fund.