Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara on Tuesday, 25 August confirmed that 102 taluks across Karnataka are currently experiencing drought conditions, and that a comprehensive situation report will be submitted to the Union government by the end of August. The announcement, made during a media interaction near his residence in Bengaluru, signals the scale of agrarian stress gripping large parts of the state ahead of the kharif harvest season.

Scale of the Drought

Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said the declaration follows prescribed criteria for identifying drought-affected taluks. 'According to the prescribed criteria for declaring drought, 102 taluks are currently facing drought conditions,' he said. The state government has been reviewing the situation on a weekly basis and will place the findings of its ground-truthing exercise before the Cabinet for deliberation.

Centre's Role and Crop Insurance Relief

The Chief Minister's Office separately confirmed that the Union government has agreed to extend the deadline for crop insurance enrolment in drought-affected areas of Karnataka — a move that follows a formal request made by the state to the Centre. The extension is expected to widen the safety net for farmers who may have missed earlier enrolment windows due to delayed onset of drought signals. This comes amid mounting pressure on the state exchequer, with relief operations and compensation payouts straining district-level budgets.

Cabinet and MLA Consultations

The drought situation is also set to feature in a meeting between Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Members of the Legislative Assembly scheduled for Tuesday. Parameshwara noted that many MLAs had sought appointments with the Chief Minister to raise constituency-level concerns, and that Shivakumar would meet legislators in batches through the day. Asked whether only Congress MLAs had been invited, Parameshwara said the ruling party had a natural responsibility to prioritise its own legislators. 'People have elected us and they have expectations from the ruling party. Therefore, naturally, there will be more opportunities,' he said.

District Ministers and Local Body Election Prep

On the question of ministerial outreach ahead of upcoming local body elections, Parameshwara said one minister has been designated for each district, with a dual mandate — party work and development activities. 'As district ministers, they will address party-related issues and oversee development works. This has been the practice for a long time,' he said.

Hanur Case Transferred to CID

Separately, Parameshwara addressed the government's decision to transfer the Hanur case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), describing it as routine procedure. 'Whenever such incidents occur and the government has doubts, the matter is handed over to the CID. This case has also been handed over in the same manner. There is nothing new in this,' he said. The state's comprehensive drought report is expected to be a key document in Karnataka's negotiations with the Centre for disaster relief funds in the weeks ahead.