The Karnataka government has decided to declare 101 taluks drought-hit, with 32 additional taluks that qualified under the first drought trigger currently under reassessment, Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara announced on Thursday, 27 August. Speaking at a press conference at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, Parameshwara described the situation as an unprecedented drought-like crisis, with the state committing ₹635 crore toward drought management.

Scale of the Rainfall Deficit

Against an expected 666 mm of rainfall between 1 June and 26 August, Karnataka received only 465 mm — a shortfall of 30 per cent. As many as 29 districts and 190 taluks are currently experiencing deficient to large-deficient rainfall, while 12 taluks are facing a severe deficit. By 26 August, 134 taluks had recorded a dry spell exceeding three consecutive weeks, making them eligible for assessment under Trigger-1 of the Centre's Drought Manual-2020.

Assessment Process and Declaration Criteria

Following ground-truthing based on prescribed drought assessment parameters, 101 taluks were found eligible for a drought declaration. The remaining 32 taluks that qualified under Trigger-1 are being reassessed. Once the 101 taluks are formally declared drought-hit, the situation will be reviewed every 15 days. Ground-truthing has also been conducted at the hobli level, with data currently being analysed.

Parameshwara explained that Trigger-1 covers dry spells of three or more consecutive weeks, while Trigger-2 factors in sowing levels, crop conditions, soil moisture, groundwater levels, and water availability in tanks and reservoirs. He alleged that certain limitations in the existing assessment criteria have made it difficult to declare some areas drought-hit, and that the state has repeatedly urged the Centre to revise the norms — without success so far.

Impact on Agriculture and Soil Moisture

As of 21 August, only 71 per cent of the targeted sowing area had been covered. Against a target of 84.10 lakh hectares, sowing had taken place in just 60 lakh hectares. Of Karnataka's 240 taluks, 104 recorded less than 75 per cent sowing, and 42 taluks recorded less than 25 per cent.

Horticultural crops have also been hit hard — against a target of 4.36 lakh hectares, sowing was completed in only 3.04 lakh hectares (69 per cent) as of 25 August. Even sown crops are not developing as expected due to inadequate moisture. The government has advised farmers to shift to short-duration, low-rainfall crop varieties and has distributed seeds accordingly.

The Moisture Adequacy Index (MAI) as of 26 August showed that 178 taluks — or 74 per cent of the state — were facing severe soil moisture deficiency. Of these, 86 taluks were under very severe deficiency and 92 under moderate deficiency. Groundwater levels have declined in 132 taluks compared with the previous decade's average, raising concerns about further deterioration in the months ahead.

Drinking Water and Livestock Situation

As of 22 August, drinking water was being supplied via 149 tankers to 758 villages across the state, with 714 private borewells hired to supplement supply. In urban areas, 48 tankers are serving 114 wards under 18 local bodies, with an additional 18 private borewells engaged.

The government has projected that drinking water shortages could affect 2,059 gram panchayats during the coming summer if conditions worsen, and has begun preparations. Reservoir storage stands at 684.09 TMC as of 26 August, compared with 815.70 TMC during the same period last year — a significant drop.

On the livestock front, the state holds approximately 151 lakh tonnes of fodder, sufficient for roughly 33 weeks overall. However, fodder stocks in 49 taluks will last only 25 weeks, and in 18 taluks, less than 20 weeks. The government has released ₹25 crore for fodder seed kit distribution, with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) also participating in the effort.

Government's Financial Commitment and Next Steps

'We do not have any shortage of funds,' Parameshwara stated, underlining that the ₹635 crore drought management outlay is aimed at ensuring neither people nor livestock face hardship. With the formal drought declaration for 101 taluks imminent and hobli-level data still being processed, the situation in the remaining 32 taluks is expected to be resolved in the next review cycle. All eyes are now on whether the Centre will respond to Karnataka's repeated call to ease drought assessment norms before the crisis deepens further.