Eight taluks of Mysuru district are reeling under severe drought conditions which has led to an estimated loss of ₹508.62 crore, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

According to officials, approximately 75,160 hectares of crops have been damaged in the district, with the agricultural sector taking a massive hit. To alleviate the suffering of farmers, an estimated ₹ 60.23 crore is urgently needed as ‘input subsidy’ in accordance with the centre’s National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) guidelines, officials added.

“Crops such as millet, sorghum, maize, peas, safflower, sorghum, groundnut, over cotton, and gram have been destroyed in 75,000 hectares in the district,’’ agriculture department joint director BS Chandra Shekar said.

“As crop surveys continue, we have as of now estimated ₹508.32 crore loss... the amount has been sought as compensation... affected farmers will be considered for compensation following NDRF guidelines,” he added.

“Farmers in the drought-stricken taluks are facing a dire situation as their crops are withering due to the lack of water and rainfall.

Despite planting crops, the region is experiencing a ‘green drought,’ leaving farmers in despair,” an official requesting anonymity said.

A green drought is generally understood to mean a period when there is limited rainfall due to which there is growth of new plants, but the growth is insubstantial.

The affected taluks, including HD Kote, Hunsur, Mysore, Nanjangud, Piriyapatna, T Narasipura, Sarguru, and Saligrama, have been declared severely drought-prone by the government during the current monsoon season.

In response to government directives, officials from the revenue, agriculture, horticulture, and sericulture departments have conducted a comprehensive survey to assess crop damage in the drought-affected taluks.

“A consolidated report has been submitted to the government by the district administration, outlining the extent of crop damage and associated losses,” an official of the agriculture department said on the condition of anonymity.

The severity of the drought has led to most crops, including millet, withering at the seedling stage, the official added.

Unseasonal summer-like weather conditions have exacerbated the situation, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to sustain their crops.

Compensation, in the form of input subsidies, is required for farmers who have suffered a 33% or more crop loss, the officials said, adding that the district administration has requested grant funds for this purpose, but the distribution of compensation has not yet commenced.

Farmers will be eligible for compensation of up to ₹8,500 per hectare for rain-fed agricultural land and up to ₹ 7,000 per hectare for irrigated land, limited to a maximum of two hectares per farmer, in accordance with current regulations, officials said.

The central government has been approached for compensation for crops with more than 33% damage, considering that 90% of sowing was completed during the monsoon season.

While some areas have managed to plant paddy using a canal-based irrigation system, sustaining various crops in the rain-fed region remains a formidable challenge due to intense sunlight, causing crops to wilt at the sprouting stage.

The Karnataka government had declared 195 taluks as drought-hit based on central government guidelines.

The drought memorandum was approved by the state cabinet on September 22 and submitted online to the Centre the same night.

State revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda said that he had sought appointments with the Union home minister and agriculture minister, as advised by the chief minister, to discuss the drought situation, but they had not yet responded.

However, the central team was constituted and sent in response to the state’s request

Source - https://www.hindustantimes.com