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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday directed district administrations to accord top priority to drinking water supply and ensure that wildlife does not face hardships as the state grapples with a severe drought.
Chairing a video conference with Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats under the leadership of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha, Parameshwara reviewed the drought situation, drinking water availability, cattle fodder, agriculture and employment measures across the state. Calling the meeting "very important", Parameshwara said Karnataka was witnessing a severe drought, with the State recording a 68 per cent rainfall deficit, while some regions had reported a 48 per cent deficit. He said groundwater levels had declined in 88 taluks, reservoir storage had fallen sharply and the situation could worsen in the coming days. "There is no drinking water. The number of villages being supplied water through tankers is increasing day by day. Drinking water should be given priority. Water from reservoirs should not be supplied for crops. There is a very serious situation and all officials should act effectively," he said. Parameshwara directed officials to immediately provide electricity connections and motor pumps for newly drilled borewells and ensure effective utilisation of the Rs 329 crore available in Deputy Commissioners' PD accounts for drought relief works. He also expressed concern over migration from drought-hit districts such as Ballari, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir and Vijayanagar, and instructed officials to expedite employment generation under the VBG Ramji scheme. He noted that the scheme had not been implemented in 2,443 of nearly 5,000 gram panchayats and asked Zilla Panchayat CEOs to treat the issue seriously. The Deputy Chief Minister said dry weather had persisted for four weeks in 75 taluks and directed officials to conduct ground verification and submit reports to the Centre to facilitate further relief measures. Expressing concern over the impact of drought on livestock, Parameshwara instructed the Animal Husbandry Department to ensure adequate fodder availability, distribute fodder seeds to farmers with water sources and procure fodder from farmers who had cultivated it. He also directed officials to discourage cultivation of water-intensive crops such as maize and sugarcane in drought-hit areas. Stressing the need for coordinated action, Parameshwara instructed district task forces to meet every week to review the situation and take timely decisions, including on drilling borewells. Referring to reports of arecanut plantations drying up and the recent suicide of a farmer in Tumakuru, he urged officials to act proactively to prevent further distress among farmers. "Ensure that there is no problem for wildlife as well," Parameshwara said while directing officials to intensify drought management measures across the state. (ANI)
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