With the southwestern monsoon still playing truant, Karnataka is facing a rainfall deficit of (-) 25 per cent.
Not less than 300 hoblis of the total 747 are facing a drought-like situation. And in case rains elude for the next two weeks, then more than a dozen districts may be declared drought-hit.
Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre director GS Srinivas Reddy said cloud formation was good but it may still not rain for the next couple of days. He said that of the 17 districts in north-interior Karnataka, 12 districts were facing paucity of rains. All the three coastal districts - Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada - have been getting rains, but it is relatively less than the normal.
In 300 hoblis, a dry spell is continuing. "If the dry spells continue for four consecutive weeks and the moisture level is less than 50 per cent, then it can be classified as drought. Exceptions are the Western Ghat sections and some places in the Malnad districts. As many as 17 districts fall under the deficit category and 13 under the normal category," he said.
Replying to a question, Reddy said Bengaluru, Chikkaballapur and Shivamogga districts in south-interior Karnataka fell under the deficit category. He said compared with this year, the situation last year was worse. In 2014, till July 12, there was deficit rainfall. But later, it rained so heavily that there were floods in many districts, he added.
According to Agriculture department director B K Dharmaraj, agriculture activities should have started in about 52 lakh hectares so far in the State. But the activities have begun in about 95 per cent of this area due to deficit rainfall. Sowing operation is going on in full swing in Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Haveri, Bagalkot and Ballari districts which received rainfall recently. Districts of Bidar, Kalaburagi, Raichur and Yadgir are yet to receive good rainfall, he added.
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