Karnataka — which is reeling under drought, with more than half of its taluks being declared “drought-hit” — is one of the States most prone to the crisis, as 16 of its 30 districts have found a place in the list of 24 districts in the country that are eternally drought-prone.
Disclosing this in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande said the analysis had been made by the Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture. “We are more affected than Rajasthan,” the Minister said.
The districts which have been identified as permanently drought-prone include Hassan, Kolar, Davangere, Belagavi, Bagalkot, and Bengaluru Rural, the Minister said.
On the measures taken to counter drought, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the government had nearly tripled the monthly rent for private borewells from the present ₹6,000 to a maximum of ₹17,000 to encourage private borewell owners to rent them out to the government to help provide drinking water.
He told the Legislative Assembly that the actual rent would depend on the quantum of water yield in the borewells. The officials concerned have also been instructed to try to provide piped water supply by linking these rented borewells to the water supply network.
Presently, 209 villages are getting drinking water through tankers. The government has relaxed the norm that earlier said supplying water through tankers should not be extended beyond 90 days.
Experts’ committee
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy announced constitution of an experts’ committee to suggest ways and means of permanently preventing drought in the affected areas of the State. His announcement came in the Assembly following a suggestion by Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar.
