A central inter-ministerial team surveying drought conditions in Karnataka has inspected failed crops, depleted water sources and livestock-feed shortages across several districts, while farmers reported that crop-insurance claims had not produced any compensation despite substantial cultivation costs.
The team led by Ajit Kumar Sahu, joint secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, visited farms in Chitradurga and Davanagere on Sunday. Colonel Amarendra Singh and J. Harsha were also part of the team, which travelled with district-level officials to assess the impact of inadequate rainfall.
In Sakkara village in Hiriyur taluk, the officials inspected dried groundnut, cotton, pigeon pea and maize crops. Farmers told the team that falling groundwater levels had made it difficult to save horticultural crops as well. The team later held discussions with farmers in Parashurampura and inspected crop damage in Dodderi and Kurudihalli villages of Challakere taluk.
In Neerthadi village of Davanagere taluk, farmers showed the team dried maize fields and described the cost of cultivation. Farmer N.S. Veeraiah told the officials that he had spent about ₹40,000 per acre on seeds, fertiliser, medicines and other inputs. Although he had taken crop insurance for two years, he said he had received no compensation.
The officials asked farmers whether they had enrolled in crop insurance, why irrigation facilities were unavailable and how much they had spent per acre. The team also visited the dried-up Madanabavi lake in Nyamati taluk and inspected maize and other crops in Soratur village of Honnali taluk.
A separate drought assessment team led by Mansingh, director of the Rice Development Department in Patna, visited villages in Yadgir and Raichur. Farmers from Doranhalli, Gundalli, Bidarani, Maddarki and Mudbool in Shahapur taluk described the financial burden created by failed sowing, repeated efforts to save crops, reduced yields and inadequate water for livestock.
Senior farmer Siddappa Rakangeri told the team in Doranhalli that the region was experiencing a drought comparable, in his recollection, to the severe conditions of 1972. He appealed for early relief and said farmers should not be caught between the Central and state governments over responsibility for compensation.
In Raichur district, the team reached the area near Aminagad village in Kavitala about one-and-a-half hours later than scheduled and inspected crops after dark. It also visited Masarkal, N. Ganekal, Mandakal and Yaradona villages in Devadurga taluk. Raichur Deputy Commissioner S. Poovitha, Yadgir Deputy Commissioner Rahul Pandve and agriculture officials participated in the respective district visits.
In Hassan, a team led by Dr Sudham Bag visited coconut plantations for a second day and saw dried coconut fronds. Minister Shivalingegowda told the officials that drought had affected dairy farming as well as agriculture. Farmers who previously fed cattle with fodder grown on their own land were now being forced to purchase feed from outside because the crops had dried up.
The visits are intended to document drought conditions and the resulting losses across affected districts. The supplied report does not state when the teams will submit their assessment or when any relief decision will be announced.