The Central Drought Assessment Team headed by Raghavendra Singh, Central Drought Relief Commissioner and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, on Tuesday, went around parts of Ballari, Koppal and Gadag districts to understand the condition of crops during the current kharif season due to deficient rainfall.
He was accompanied by Rajkumar Khatri, Principal Secretary Revenue (Disaster Management).
Sameer Shukla, Deputy Commissioner, Ballari, along with Joint Director of Agriculture and other officials explained the grim situation prevailing in the district.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the district received 23.1 mm average actual rainfall as against the normal average of 49.2 mm up to July 23, which not only affected sowing but also affected the standing crop in rain-fed areas.
The following is the taluk-wise average rainfall (in mm) received, with figures in brackets indicating normal rainfall: Ballari 13.17 (31.8), Sirguppa 34.7 (47.9), Sandur 28.4 (55.6), Kudligi 25.8 (55.3), Hosapete 21.9 (51.9), Hagari Bommanahalli 14.2 (48.7) and Hadagali 26 (57.9).
As against the targeted area of 3.65 lakh hectare (ha) — of which 2.10 lakh ha is rain-fed — sowing had been completed on 0.95 lakh ha. In the rain-fed areas, sowing had been completed on 0.53 lakh ha recording a percentage of a mere 25.
ADVERTISEMENT
Normally, by July, the sowing coverage should have been 1.54 lakh ha in the district.
Jowar, maize, minor millets, tur, green gram, cowpea, ground nut, sunflower, sugar cane, cotton cultivated in 42,658 ha were withering due to moisture stress.
Following is taluk-wise area affected (in ha): Hadagli (21,835), Hagari Bommahanalli (7.026), Hosapete (2,080), Kudligi (9,150) and Sandur (2,567).
Later, the team visited a couple of villages in Hosapete taluk before heading towards Koppal.
Moisture stress
At Koppal, the team saw loss of green gram in Halageri village for want of rain, growth-affected onion, withering of groundnut crop among others due to severe moisture stress, besides glancing at vast patches of land remaining unsown due to failure of follow up rain.
Veeresh, Deputy Director of Agriculture, explained that the district was reeling under a long dry-spell during the month of July and sowing had been completed in about 45 per cent of the targeted area.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Singh said that the team had toured several districts in Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh and also in north Karnataka to assess the drought condition prevailing due to deficit rainfall.
He said the situation was grim and a report would be submitted to the Union government, to enable it to take appropriate decision to tackle the situation.
A release by the Department of Information and Public Relations from Gadag said that Mr. Singh was accompanied by the Union Agriculture Department director Atul Patne and district-level officials. They visited Harlapur, Lakkundi and surrounding areas and took stock of the conditions.
They also visited the farm pit launched by the State government to maintain soil moisture levels under the Krishi Bhagya scheme at Churchihala village.
Deputy Commissioner N.S. Prasanna Kumar, Department of Agriculture joint director C.B. Balareddy, zilla panchayat chief executive officer Sanjay Shettennavar and others appraised Mr. Singh about the losses incurred by the people following monsoon failure of about 40 per cent. Sowing was done on 1.38 lakh hectares against the target of 2.39 lakh hectares. Nearly, 92,543 hectares have been affected by lack of moisture in the district, the release said.