Karnataka faces severe drought with 82% food production loss

Karnataka is facing an extremely serious drought situation that has resulted in an estimated 82% loss in food production. Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara reported that the crisis is causing severe shortages of drinking water and fodder for livestock across large parts of the state, including North Karnataka.

To address the emergency, the state government is preparing a third memorandum to request drought-relief funds from the Union Government under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms. The memorandum is expected to be submitted within two days. While the state is currently using its own resources to provide drinking water via tankers and private borewells, officials warned that the situation could become unmanageable if existing water sources dry up completely.

Approximately 226 taluks have been declared drought-hit, with estimated losses potentially exceeding Rs 60,000 crore.