Central teams verify drought damage as Karnataka seeks Rs 10,000-cr aid

Bengaluru, Oct 5 : Karnataka's demand for drought relief has entered a crucial verification stage, with three Central teams visiting drought-hit districts to physically assess crop damage and verify the conditions reported by the State government, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said on Monday.

The Centre's decision on financial assistance will depend substantially on the reports submitted by the teams following their field assessment, Dr Parameshwara said.

"Three Central teams are visiting different parts of the State. We had submitted a nearly 1,000-page report along with the list of drought-affected areas. They are now visiting the ground and verifying whether the conditions mentioned in our report exist in reality," he told reporters here.

The teams are expected to complete their assessment by Tuesday and submit their reports to the Centre, he said.

The State government has already briefed the teams on the extent of the damage. Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Dr Parameshwara personally met the teams and urged them to cover the 27 additional taluks identified in the second phase of drought assessment.

"They are visiting almost all districts. In some places, they have directly spoken to farmers and visited the fields. They are seeing the actual situation and verifying the ground-truthing done by us," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Karnataka has assessed drought-related losses at around Rs 46,000 crore across 177 taluks and has sought approximately Rs 10,000-11,000 crore in assistance from the Centre, Dr Parameshwara said.

The State government is now preparing for the next round of discussions with the Centre.

"We have thought of going as a delegation led by the Chief Minister and myself. When we go, we will put forward our demand and seek the assistance required by Karnataka," he said.

The Central assessment assumes significance as the State government's estimated losses are substantially higher than the financial assistance sought from the Centre. The field teams' findings will provide the Centre with an independent assessment of crop losses and the prevailing conditions in the affected areas.

For Karnataka, the immediate challenge is to establish the extent of losses through ground verification. Farmers in several districts have reported crop damage, while the State government has maintained that drought conditions have affected agricultural activity and rural livelihoods across a large number of taluks.

Dr Parameshwara said the government had also taken steps to provide immediate relief and noted that the rising cost of living had increased the financial burden on people.

The State's strategy is now focused on presenting its detailed assessment to the Centre, getting the losses verified on the ground and seeking maximum possible assistance based on the findings.

With the Central teams set to complete their field visits, attention will now shift to the Centre's final assessment and the quantum of financial assistance Karnataka will receive against its estimated Rs 46,000-crore drought losses.