K. Rakesh Kumar, CEO, zilla pachayat, has directed officials of the Department of Agriculture to complete the process of assessment of crop loss caused by drought in the district in an expedited manner.
He was speaking at a meeting held at the ZP office in the city on Friday to review the progress of implementation of Karnataka Development Programmes.
The officials of Department of Agriculture said that according to preliminary estimate, the standing crop across 1.06 lakh hectares of land has been damaged owing to drought in the district. Of this, the extent of damage is more than 33 per cent across 89,000 hectares.
Relief work
Mr. Kumar expressed his displeasure against the delay in completion of the assessment of the financial loss caused by crop failure by the Revenue and Agriculture Departments who have conducted a joint survey in this regard. The completion of the assessment was necessary to execute relief work in the affected areas in a proper manner, he said.
Low water storage
The Agriculture Department officials said that in wake of low water storage in major reservoirs in the district this year owing to the sluggish monsoon, water will not be released for rabi and summer crops.
The target of cultivating rabi crops through the rain-fed method over 1,340 hectares has been set for the district against which sowing has taken place in 565 hectares.
Mr. Kumar said the farmers who have taken up the cultivation of rabi crops should be brought under the purview of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
Harish, Superintendent Engineer, Department of Rural Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, told the meeting that 201 human settlements have been identified as vulnerable to drinking water crises in the summer season in the district. Measures will be taken to provide drinking water from the nearest surface water source or by digging borewell in such places, he said.
Hostels
Mr. Kumar said that three wardens of hostels run by the Department of Social Welfare have been placed under suspension in past one month on the charges of mismanagement of the hostel.
Jyothi Kumar, ZP president, Veda Vijay Kumar, ZP V-P, Veeresh Kotagi, chairperson, Standing Committee on Education and Health, Kalpana Padmanabha, chairperson, Standing Committee on Agriculture and Industry, and D.R. Rekha Umesh, chairperson, Standing Committee on Social Justice were present.
