Karnataka was left with a 25% rainfall deficiency because it acquired 642 mm of rain towards the conventional of 852 mm between June 1 and October 31. File
| Photo Credit: Badiger PK
During a 12 months of unprecedented drought, which has accentuated the agricultural disaster in Karnataka, the political response to the farmers’ financial misery has come beneath the scanner.
This 12 months, the south west monsoon was one of many worst in recent times. The State was left with a 25% rainfall deficiency because it acquired 642 mm of rain towards the conventional of 852 mm between June 1 and October 31. Rainfall was skewed. Rainfall was neither uniformly distributed nor well timed. This resulted in crop loss and a decline in yield.
The cumulative storage within the main reservoirs was 452.91 thousand million cubic (TMC) toes towards the gross storage capability of 895.62 TMC ft (50.56% of the put in capability) as on November 17. The crop loss has been pegged at greater than ₹30,000 crore. Though the Congress authorities has declared 223 taluks out of 236 as drought-affected, the farmers are peeved that it has not introduced any drought-relief measures to attenuate their hardship.
The Opposition comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) proceed to be in confrontational mode. They have faulted the State authorities for prioritising the implementation of the 5 assure schemes — Gruha Jyothi (200 models of free electrical energy to each family), Gruha Lakshmi (₹2,000 to lady household-head within the BPL or under poverty line class), Anna Bhagya (10 kilogrammes of rice to every individual within the BPL class), Yuvanidhi (₹3,000 and ₹1,500 for unemployed graduates and diploma holders, respectively), and Shakti (free bus journey for girls in public buses) — that may price the exchequer practically ₹58,000 crore each year. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in flip questioned the Opposition’s “deafening silence”. He stated that BJP MPs haven’t argued Karnataka’s case earlier than the Prime Minister or secured funds for drought aid. In reality, the ensures are offering succour in a drought 12 months, he argued.
Instead of participating with the federal government on offering aid to the drought-affected individuals or highlighting the hardship of the farmers, the BJP and the JD(S) are accused of raking up trivial topics which divert consideration from drought.
Over the previous few days, former Chief Minister and JD (S) chief H.D. Kumaraswamy has been levelling allegations of corruption towards the federal government primarily based on a brief video wherein Yathindra, son of Mr. Siddaramaiah, is seen issuing directions over cellphone. Though the dialog within the video clip lacks any context, the Opposition sought to implicate Mr. Siddaramaiah by arguing that Mr. Yathindra’s dialog revolved round cash-for-posting. The Congress strongly rebuffed this allegation. The Opposition additionally speaks now and again of the “imminent collapse” of the federal government “within six months” or of a change of Chief Minister, in an try to needle the Congress. This resulted in one other spherical of rebuttal from the ruling get together.
The Congress, in the meantime, mocked the BJP’s drought research tour. Dubbing it a “photo opportunity”, it stated {that a} Central authorities group had already performed a tour.
While the Centre has undeniably delayed the discharge of funds to offer for drought aid, the State authorities has come beneath flak for not being proactive by saying just a few coverage measures to assist farmers. This consists of saying help value for drought-tolerant crops resembling millets and jowar, backed by an assured buy mechanism for distribution beneath the Anna Bhagya scheme. Such a coverage initiative would have additionally inspired farmers to domesticate millets and jowar and bailed them out of their monetary misery to a substantial extent. Besides, it will have discouraged farmers from rising paddy or sugarcane, that are water-guzzling crops. The political institution also needs to have frolicked discussing local weather change, which has altered rainfall patterns, and ready farmers to take care of it.
But none of this has been touched upon; as an alternative, a political slugfest involving the discharge of funds together with a bunch of allegations and counter-allegations have taken priority over the precise dealing with of drought. The never-ending acerbic disagreement between the Congress and the Opposition alliance is about to echo within the winter session of the State Assembly that will likely be held in Belagavi from the primary week of December.
Source: www.thehindu.com
