The government has stepped up drought relief measures, with the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday sanctioning Rs. 61 crore and deputing Ministers to coordinate activities at the district-level.
Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan and Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar will visit the districts to assess the situation and coordinate relief activities. They will hold discussions with district-level officials.
District Collectors have been directed to expedite the installation of drinking water kiosks and conservation of water sources.
Mr. Chandrasekharan said ₹17.03 crore would be spent on compensation for crop loss and ₹34.42 crore on water supply. District Collectors have been provided with an additional ₹50 lakh each for drought relief works.
A press note quoting the Minister said assistance would be distributed on the basis of the norms of the National Disaster Response Fund. The government had earlier declared a moratorium on revenue recovery for agricultural loans.
A videoconferencing convened by Chief Secretary S.M. Vijayanand with District Collectors decided to allocate ₹20 crore for setting up water kiosks in all wards. Collectors have also been asked to ensure that all water tankers are equipped with GPS units for tracking.
The Minister said directions had been issued to cut the use of groundwater by 75 per cent in view of the parched conditions.
The press note called upon the public to cooperate with the government in protecting water sources and clamping down on wastage of water.
The government, it said, was vigilant against any move to exploit the drought situation to fleece the people or indulge in corruption.
