Karnataka estimates Rs 46,324 crore drought loss, seeks Rs 7,142 crore from Centre

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to provide Rs 7,142.64 crore in drought relief, saying farmers and the wider public were facing severe hardship.

The revised demand comes after the state declared 177 taluks drought-hit and estimated losses at Rs 46,324.50 crore, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

The state had earlier sought Rs 3,705.30 crore from the Centre under National Disaster Response Fund norms. Shivakumar made the appeal during a meeting with a Central Inter-Ministerial team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

According to the statement, 217 of Karnataka's 240 taluks have been identified as drought-affected, while 177 have been officially declared drought-hit.

The government said the taluks were identified through a scientific assessment and in line with the Centre's disaster management guidelines.

"If farmers suffer, everything comes to a standstill. Therefore, the central government should come to the aid of the state's farmers," Shivakumar said.

He said he and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara had not seen such hardship among people in their four decades in public life.

He also said the government had convened a special legislative session to understand the problems faced by elected representatives and farmers, with around 150 MLAs raising issues from their constituencies.

Shivakumar said water inflows into reservoirs across the state, except those in the Krishna basin, were low. He said the Malnad and coastal regions were also facing a severe rainfall deficit and that urban areas too were dealing with water shortages.

According to the statement, the state government has announced Rs 2,500 in relief for farmers, but is expecting greater help from the Centre.

"Farmers are facing severe hardship. Sugarcane growers are demanding better prices, while milk producers are seeking an increase of at least Rs 10 in the procurement price. In this challenging situation, let the Centre and the state work together," he said.

Shivakumar said state ministers had visited districts to assess the situation on the ground, while officials had taken precautionary and relief measures.

Farmers had also been advised on sowing decisions based on prevailing conditions.

Responding to the chief minister's appeal, Sahu said the Central team would tour Karnataka for three days, assess the ground situation and gather data from state officials before submitting an objective report. Parameshwara, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and other senior officials attended the meeting.

The meeting focused on Karnataka's revised drought relief request, the scale of crop and water-related distress across the state, and the Centre's assessment process before a report is submitted.