3 weeks ago
Kharge Seeks 10-Month Action Plan as Drought Threat Looms
Sometimes a very strong weather pattern called El Nino can make rains disappear for a long time.
That means rivers and wells can dry up, and plants cannot grow.
A minister named Priyank Kharge wants his helpers to get ready for this possibility.
He asked them to make a ten-month plan to make sure people and animals have enough water.
They also need to make sure animals have food and people stay safe on very hot days.
Some places in the district already have trouble getting water, so the minister told officials to solve those problems quickly.
He also said people who brought water by tanker last time must be paid, or nobody will help again.
Many farmers are worried because their crops were damaged and they want money to help them.
The minister wants everyone to be prepared so that if the drought comes, people will not be in trouble.
Amid Super El Nino-driven drought risk, Home Minister Priyank Kharge ordered officials to prepare a 10-month action plan covering drinking-water shortages, fodder requirements and heat waves.
Drought has not been officially declared because the monsoon is still continuing, but Kharge said departments should coordinate from the grassroots level if the situation persists.
Around 35 wards in Kalaburagi city are facing water problems after tanker supply was stopped from August 1; officials must submit a comprehensive report by August 14.
The district recorded a 35 per cent rainfall deficit in July-August, with sowing completed on only 5.37 lakh hectares against 8.90 lakh hectares.
Kharge ordered legal action against L&T for allegedly failing to maintain tanker supply, directed clearing of pending payments to private borewell owners, and warned against black-market fertiliser sales.
- Who
- Home Minister Priyank Kharge, Agriculture Minister Sharanprakash Patil, and MLAs Allamaprabhu Patil and Kaneez Fatima
- What
- Officials were directed to prepare a 10-month drought action plan to address drinking-water shortages, fodder requirements and heat waves
- Where
- Kalaburagi district, at the Deputy Commissioner's office
- When
- At a review meeting held on Monday, with a required report due by August 14
- Why
- Indications of a prolonged drought emerging due to Super El Nino and a 35 per cent rainfall deficit in July-August
Key facts
- Action Plan Duration
- 10 months
- Rainfall Deficit (July-August)
- 35 per cent
- Sowing Completed
- 5.37 lakh hectares (against 8.90 lakh hectares)
- Crop Insurance Enrollment
- 4.52 lakh farmers covering 5.35 lakh hectares
- Farmers Proposed for Interim Relief
- 37,051
- Wards Facing Water Problems
- Around 35
- Tanker Supply Stopped
- August 1
- Shops Penalized for Fertiliser Violations
- 7
Quotes
Home Minister Priyank Kharge
Minister of Home Affairs, Karnataka
“"If I, as a minister, can answer their calls and listen to their problems, what difficulty do you have?"”
deccanchronicle.com
“"Water supply to people and livestock should be our first priority."”
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