Vinod M Jain
*Inflow to KRS Reservoir Increases.
*Reservoir Likely to Reach 90% Capacity in the Next Two to Three Days
*Deputy Chief Minister Dr.G.Parameshwara Addresses the Media.
Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister Dr.G. Parameshwara said that drought conditions continue to prevail in the state,with 111 taluks in North Karnataka experiencing a prolonged dry spell for the past four weeks.
He was speaking at a press conference held at the Banquet Hall of Vidhana Soudha after the Cabinet meeting,alongside the Chief Minister.
Dr.Parameshwara said that the Cabinet expansion was held today, and the Chief Minister had briefed the newly inducted ministers in detail about their responsibilities.
He noted that while the state continues to face drought conditions,only a few districts have received rainfall, resulting in increased inflows into some reservoirs.
He stated that three reservoirs in the Cauvery basin have already reached around 90% of their storage capacity.
Inflows into the KRS Reservoir have also increased significantly,and it is likely to reach 90% capacity within the next two to three days.
However,drought conditions continue to persist in several districts of North Karnataka.The severity of the drought has increased across 111 taluks,and the situation is likely to worsen if the rainfall deficit continues.
MLAs and members of the public have been demanding that the government declare these areas drought-affected.
Dr.Parameshwara explained that,under the Centre’s ten prescribed criteria,a formal drought declaration cannot be made until the end of August.The State Government has written to the Union Government requesting relaxation of these norms.
He further said that the government will assess the drought situation across the state, including areas falling under the Red Zone and Yellow Zone categories.
Based on this assessment,the Cabinet will deliberate and take an appropriate decision.He also informed that the Revenue Department had made a detailed presentation on the drought situation during the Cabinet meeting.
