Review parameters to declare drought, Karnataka CM writes to Centre

Bengaluru

Chief minister Siddaramaiah has written to the Union government to review the current parameters for a state to declare drought and consider its amendment, to establish a more responsive framework that acknowledges the realities of each state and offers timely assistance to the farmers in particular.

In the letter addressed to Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Siddaramaiah noted that in the current monsoon season, Karnataka has recorded 234 mm of rainfall as against the normal downpour of 336 mm, with -34% deficiency. He said this was also in the backdrop of delayed arrival of monsoon and a deficit of -56% in June.

“Throughout this season, the rainfall distribution and intensity has been erratic. 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.

Noting that the last few years have witnessed unprecedented challenges and adverse weather conditions - mainly driven by climate change - affecting various aspects of life, he said the increasing frequency and intensity of droughts have had severe consequences, including crop failures, water scarcity, and socio-economic hardships for rural communities.

The chief minister said that while the existing drought parameters in the revised Drought Manual have served as important guidelines for assessing and responding to drought situation, they may need to revised to reflect the diverse 14 agro-climatic zones in the state, each facing distinct challenges.

“The current one-size-fits-all approach to drought declaration is not capturing the nuances and variations in different regions. It is important to develop region-specific criteria that consider local ecological factors, water availability, and agricultural practices,” the chief minister stressed.

A few key considerations that Siddaramaiah has suggested in his letter include Rainfall Deviation index ranging from -20% to -59% may be considered as mandatory trigger for drought declaration, and lower than two weeks consecutive dry spell should be considered under rainfall related indices instead of three-four weeks. He also said that the early declaration of drought has been made difficult due to the condition imposed in the manual that sowing has to be completed and a declaration has to been given by state governments stating that “no further sowing is expected” in regions affected by drought.

“While it is understandable that the norms for drought declaration are established to ensure accurate assessments and appropriate allocation of resources, it is essential to recognise 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,” he added.