Of the 256 districts that have been declared drought-hit for 2015-2016, over 10% are located in Karnataka. On the ground, this translates to roughly half of Karnataka’s six crore people are reeling under the effects of the worst drought the state has seen in four decades.

Twenty-seven out of 30 districts in Karnataka, which is the second most arid state after Rajasthan, were declared drought-hit after August, following a poor monsoon.

With water levels in wells, borewells, rivers declining, many people in rural areas have to endure much trouble to obtain enough drinking water for themselves. As they struggle for themselves, their means of livelihood too – agriculture and cattle – lay wasted by the heat.

In some of the northern districts of the state, life is grim:

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