Karnataka Seeks ₹7,500 Crore Drought Relief from Centre

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 4, 2026: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara on Sunday said the state government has sought a total of ₹7,500 crore in drought relief from the Centre, with estimated losses of nearly ₹46,000 crore in two phases.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with a high-level Central drought assessment team led by Union Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar Sahu, Parameshwara said the delegation had been briefed on the state’s rainfall deficit, crop losses, drinking water scarcity, fodder availability and measures to prevent distress migration.

The state has submitted two drought memoranda to the Centre, detailing the extent of crop damage and the challenges faced by farmers and rural communities, he said.

In the first phase, crop losses were estimated at around ₹18,000 crore, with the state seeking approximately ₹3,700 crore in relief under Central government guidelines. In the second phase, losses across 77 drought-affected taluks were estimated at ₹27,000 crore, with a relief request of ₹3,500 crore.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the Central team had also been informed about the availability of fodder for the coming months, measures to address drinking water shortages, crop insurance enrolment, input subsidies and steps to prevent distress migration.

Around 49 lakh farmers have enrolled in crop insurance in Karnataka, marking the highest enrolment so far, he said. The team was briefed on the procedures for providing crop insurance benefits and input subsidies to drought-affected farmers.

Parameshwara said the state had strictly followed the Union government’s drought assessment manual and guidelines while calculating crop losses and seeking relief, without undertaking assessments beyond the prescribed norms.

State officials have been divided into three groups to assist the Central team in inspecting North Karnataka, Central Karnataka and other drought-affected regions.

Urging the delegation to visit the affected areas, Parameshwara said an on-ground assessment would help ensure a fair evaluation of the drought situation and the actual losses suffered by farmers.