BENGALURU: Revenue minister Krishna Byregowda on Monday said as many as 85 taluks in the state have received less than 20 per cent rainfall and is under the government’s scanner to be declared as drought hit.
Byregowda said, however, with the stringent central government norms to declare a drought hit taluk, it is a difficult task to declare them the same.
“As of now, the norms suggest that there needs to be a 60 per deficit in rainfall and for three consecutive weeks there should be a dry spell. But in the present climatic conditions this is a serious challenge as one day in these three weeks there may be rains and create an obstacle for us to declare them as drought hit. We have already requested the centre to relax the norms to declare drought hit taluks, with chief minister Siddaramaiah writing to the centre in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Byregowda said the districts which have received less than normal annual rainfall include Bengaluru urban, Bengaluru rural, Kolar, Ramanagara, Mandya, Mysuru and Chamarajnagar, while those which have recieved excess rainfall includeKalaburagi, Yadagir, Bidar, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Vijayapura and Gadag.
He said the deputy commissioners of all those districts, where excess rainfall has been recorded, have been asked to be on high alert to ensure the protection of human lives, cattle and properties.
He said the July rainfalls have helped the state’s dam storage situation with close to 50 per cent of the capacities being filled.
