Yogesh K Porwar
*Speed Up Employment Generation; Encourage Farmers to Enrol for Crop Insurance.
*Provide Fodder Seeds to Farmers With Access to Water and Encourage Fodder Cultivation.
*Prepare an Emergency Plan to Prevent Fodder Shortage Until the Next Monsoon.
*DyCM Dr.G.Parameshwara Issues Strict Directions to Officials at Progress Review Meeting in Chamarajanagar.
Chamarajanagar:Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr.G.Parameshwara today chaired a progress review meeting at Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Bhavan in Hanur town after visiting drought-affected areas in Ranganathapura, Nitre, Somahalli and Shigevadi villages of Gundlupet taluk, Mukkadahalli and Heggothara villages of Chamarajanagar taluk, and Ajjipura in Hanur taluk.
With all five taluks of Chamarajanagar district having been declared severely drought-affected, the Deputy Chief Minister sought information from officials on drinking water availability, fodder for livestock, employment generation and other key issues.
He directed officials to take all necessary precautionary measures and manage the drought effectively so that people do not face hardship.
“The drought situation in the State is becoming more serious by the day. The purpose of today’s meeting is to review the drought situation.
The government is taking drought management very seriously, and officials and elected representatives must not take it lightly,” he said.
He said the key challenges were to ensure basic necessities such as drinking water, food, employment for livelihoods and healthcare, along with fodder and water for livestock.
“The Revenue Department, in coordination with other concerned departments, must manage the situation in a way that ensures neither people nor livestock face any difficulty,” he said.
Dr. Parameshwara expressed concern over the sharp decline in employment generation in Chamarajanagar district.
Since July 2026, only 0.81 lakh person-days of employment have been generated, compared with 2.50 lakh person-days during the corresponding two-month period last year — a decline of 67%. “If 2.50 lakh person-days of employment were generated last year when rainfall was better, why has the figure fallen so sharply this year?.
Are people not seeking work?.
What are the Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer and the officials under him doing?”he questioned.
He also pointed to low crop insurance enrolment in the district.
Across the State, 49.64 lakh farmer applications covering 33,17,167 hectares have been insured.
In Chamarajanagar, however, only 18,436 farmers covering 9,984 hectares have enrolled.
“Officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments must pay attention to this. Why were farmers not encouraged to enrol? This should not happen,” he warned.
Referring to fodder availability, he said officials had reported that the district currently has stock sufficient for 23 weeks and directed them to verify whether the figures were accurate.
“Farmers who have borewells or other assured water sources should be provided fodder seeds and encouraged to cultivate fodder,” he said.
Dr. Parameshwara said Chamarajanagar district should have received 193 mm of normal rainfall, but had received only 87 mm, resulting in a rainfall deficit of 55% and placing the district in the ‘Deficit’ category.
In August alone, the district recorded a severe rainfall deficit of 76%.
According to monsoon rainfall data from June 1 to August 31, Kollegala in Chamarajanagar district recorded the highest rainfall deficit at 67%, followed by Yelandur at 65%. K.R. Nagar and T. Narasipura in Mysuru district recorded deficits of 64%.
“The government has already declared all five taluks of Chamarajanagar district – Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Kollegala, Hanur and Yelandur – as severely drought-affected,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said drinking water problems had been reported in 17 Gram Panchayats of one taluk in Chamarajanagar district.
Water is being supplied to 48 villages through 48 tankers, while 11 private borewells have been hired to supply water to 11 villages. In urban areas, two tankers are being used to supply water to four wards of one Urban Local Body.
He said the district currently has 2,22,566 tonnes of fodder, sufficient for approximately 23 weeks.
However, Gundlupet taluk has fodder stock for only about 17 weeks. “An emergency plan must be prepared to ensure there is no fodder shortage until the next monsoon,” he directed.
As Gundlupet has only 17 weeks of fodder stock, Dr. Parameshwara directed officials to immediately plan for the establishment of a fodder bank and make arrangements to ensure supply until the next monsoon.
“The government has already released ₹25 crore to the Animal Husbandry Department for the distribution of fodder kits,” he said.
