Re-evaluate parameters for declaring drought by States: Karnataka CM to Centre

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 13 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a letter to Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, asking the Centre to re-evaluate the current parameters for declaring drought declaration by the state governments, the Chief Minister's Office posted the letter on X, formerly Twitter.
The Karnataka CM, in the letter to the central government, said the state has in recent years witnessed unprecedented challenges and adverse weather conditions, mainly driven by climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts have had severe consequences, including crop failures, water scarcity, and socio-economic hardships for rural communities.
In the current South West Monsoon season, Karnataka, he said, has recorded 34 per cent lower rainfall.
Owing to strict parameters for declaration of drought, farmers were unable to get any government support such as input subsidy, even though the late arrival of monsoon has impacted planting, he contended.
“Despite drought-like conditions in several Taluks we have not been able to meet the existing parameters for declaring drought, which is leaving our farmers without critical support such as input subsidy required in the event of failure to commence sowing operations /mid-season crop failure after sowing due to weak rains apart from other drought management/mitigation measures as set out in the Manual,” he said in the letter.
The Manual for Drought Management-2016 was updated in 2020 for the declaration of drought by the State governments.
“The current one-size-fits-all approach to drought declaration is not capturing the nuances and variations in different regions,” he wrote in the letter, asserting it was important to develop region-specific criteria that consider local ecological factors, water availability, and agricultural practices.
Further, in his letter, he argued that it was understandable that the norms for drought declaration were established to ensure accurate assessments and appropriate allocation of resources, noting that it was essential to recognize that each State and the regions within the State have their unique challenges and requirements.
“The current situation demands a more flexible approach to the existing norms, taking into account the long-term implications of prolonged water scarcity on agriculture and the livelihoods of our farmers. Therefore, I request your kind intervention to review the current parameters for declaring a drought and consider amending the drought declaration parameters,” the letter read. (ANI)