Gadag eligible for drought declaration as rainfall deficit touches 31%, says Minister Rayareddi
Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi on Friday (August 7) said that Gadag district was eligible to be declared drought-affected under the Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms as
Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi on Friday (August 7) said that Gadag district was eligible to be declared drought-affected under the Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms as it had recorded a 31% rainfall deficit during the southwest monsoon so far. Reviewing the drought situation at the zilla panchayat auditorium in Gadag, Mr. Rayareddi said the district had received 31% less rainfall than the seasonal average between June 1 and August 7. A scientific assessment would be carried out taluk-wise before a report is submitted to the State government for further action, he added. According to official figures, Gajendragad recorded a 47% rainfall deficit, followed by Gadag (43%), Mundargi (33%), Shirahatti (27%) and Lakshmeshwar (18%). Nargund registered 18% excess rainfall, and the data would be re-examined in accordance with technical guidelines, the Minister said.
Preliminary estimates indicate that agricultural and horticultural crops worth about ₹164 crore have been damaged in the district. Mr. Rayareddi said nearly 75% of the district’s farmers had enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, while crop failure was estimated at around 80%. He said the government would coordinate with insurance companies to ensure that compensation reached eligible farmers without delay. Rayareddi said that farmers who were not covered under the crop insurance scheme would be provided relief under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms and a proposal would be submitted to the government for payment of compensation at the prescribed rate per acre. The Minister also reviewed drinking water supply under the DBOT scheme and said deficiencies had been noticed in water quality and distribution despite the provision to supply 80 litres of water per person per day.
He directed zilla panchayat officials to inspect the system immediately and rectify the shortcomings. On employment generation, Mr. Rayareddi said more than 18,000 person-days of work had been created under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He instructed officials to ensure that rural labourers did not face a shortage of employment during the drought period. Stating that there was no shortage of cattle fodder in the district at present, the Minister said Deputy Commissioners had been authorised to open cattle shelters immediately if the need arose. Expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of some officials from the departments of Agriculture, Horticulture and zilla panchayat, the Minister directed them to undertake field inspections in the presence of farmers instead of relying on office-based reports.
The BriefWire