Karnataka could face severe shortages of drinking water and electricity in the coming days as drought conditions worsen across the state, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Monday, September 14.
Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura, Shivakumar said groundwater levels had fallen sharply and extensive crop damage had been reported amid deficient rainfall.
“This year, the groundwater level has fallen drastically, and crops have been destroyed. In many places, crops could not even be cultivated. Going forward, the situation indicates that there could be a severe shortage of drinking water and electricity,” CM DK Shivakumar said during a visit to his home constituency of Kanakapura.
Karnataka has already declared 101 taluks drought-hit, while more areas are expected to be added based on prescribed norms and Union government guidelines. Shivakumar said more than 200 of the state’s 239 taluks were facing drought conditions.
The rainfall deficit has worsened with the weak monsoon in September. Karnataka received only 10 mm of rain against a normal 51 mm so far this month, an 81 per cent deficit, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre.
The state has recorded below-normal rainfall in every monsoon month since June. In June, it received 116 mm against the normal 199 mm, a 42 per cent deficit. July recorded 192 mm against 271 mm, a 29 per cent deficit, while August received 169 mm against the normal 220 mm.
The worsening water situation is also putting pressure on power generation, with electricity demand crossing 19,000 MW during peak hours last week. Shivakumar said the state had been forced to purchase electricity at around Rs 11-13 per unit during the evening peak.
The Chief Minister said the government was examining ways to increase thermal power generation and source electricity from coal-producing states. Karnataka could also draw power from other parts of the country through the One Nation, One Grid system, though this would involve transmission costs.
“I have asked our Energy Minister KJ George to discuss this extensively and speak to neighbouring states about what needs to be done,” Shivakumar said.
The Chief Minister said the state government would not restrict drought declarations on political grounds and would declare areas that meet the prescribed criteria as drought-hit.
“We will not look at party politics in this matter. Wherever the drought is severe and wherever the parameters are met, we will declare those areas as drought-hit soon,” he said.
The government has also set aside two days during the special session of the legislature from September 21 to 23 to discuss the drought and its impact on farmers. MLAs will be able to raise constituency-specific concerns during the session, Shivakumar said.
The special session will also discuss implementation of the Kasturirangan report in Karnataka. The report recommended declaring 37% of the Western Ghats, covering about 60,000 sq km, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). It also proposed a complete ban on mining, quarrying and the operation of thermal power plants within the designated ESA.
The Chief Minister said the state Cabinet would hold its first meeting in the coastal region in Dakshina Kannada on September 18. The meeting will focus on preventing migration and using the region’s resources to improve livelihoods, with several programmes and initiatives expected to be announced.