Ballari records 49% rainfall deficit, crop damage across 71,756 hectares

With Ballari district facing a severe rainfall deficit and extensive crop damage, district in-charge Secretary Trilok Chandra K.V., has directed officials to closely monitor the drought situation and ensure that people and livestock do not face shortages of drinking water and fodder.

Chairing a meeting on drought management at the new district administration complex in Ballari on Saturday, he instructed officials to take timely measures to address the situation in both urban and rural areas.

Ballari Deputy Commissioner K. Nagendra Prasad, in his briefing, said that the district received only 186.3 mm of rainfall during the southwest monsoon from June 1 to September 30, against the normal 365.6 mm, recording a deficit of 49%. “The shortfall was particularly severe in Sandur taluk, which recorded a 68% deficit, and Kampli taluk, which recorded a 65% deficit. The rainfall shortage has also led to a sharp decline in groundwater levels, with Sandur registering a fall of up to 8.26 metres,” Mr. Prasad said.

As per the information provided by the district administration, the field inspections revealed crop damage across 71,756.5 hectares, including 67,236.5 hectares of agricultural crops and 4,520 hectares of horticultural crops. More than 50% damage was reported in 96.87% of the plots surveyed. Siruguppa taluk accounted for the largest affected area at 44,231.6 hectares, followed by Sandur with 20,278 hectares.

Mr. Prasad noted that the district administration has sought approximately ₹79.91 crore in assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund norms. “The process of entering farmers’ details into the Parihara software for relief is under way. A total of 50,828 farmers in the district have registered under the crop insurance scheme for the kharif season,” Mr. Prasad said.

Officials told the meeting that, of the 1,874 borewells in rural areas, 204 have temporarily become non-functional owing to reduced water yield.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Haris Sumair said 53,167 families had been provided employment under the VB-G RAM G scheme, generating 11.20 lakh person-days. “An expenditure of around ₹27 crores had been incurred towards wage payments,” he said.

Officials from the Animal Husbandry Department said approximately 2.20 lakh tonnes of fodder was available in the district, sufficient for the next 23 weeks. To help farmers meet fodder requirements, 3,334 small fodder packets had already been distributed across the district, they said.