Congress President Kharge Calls For Immediate Central Assistance For States Affected By Drought And Floods

New Delhi: Congress President and the leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, today raised the issue of damages and devastation caused by drought in Karnataka and floods and unseasonal rains in various states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala during the Zero Hour. He demanded immediate central assistance for the affected states.

Congress President said Karnataka was grappling with one of the most severe droughts in the last 123 years. “A staggering 223 out of the total 226 taluks in the state have been adversely affected by these drought conditions”, he said, while adding, “among these, 196 taluks are experiencing severe consequences, while the remaining 27 taluks face moderate effects”.

The damage to crops ranges from 40% to 90% in many cases, he said and disclosed that the total estimated loss due to crop damage in the state of Karnataka is pegged at ₹35,162.05 crores.

Mr Kharge said, compounding the severity of the situation, Karnataka is confronting a new challenge referred to as “green drought” where crops have matured, yet there is no yield.

He said, to handle this critical situation, the state government has sought assistance amounting to ₹18,171.44 crores from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). He said, this financial support is crucial for providing input subsidies, gratuitous relief, and implementing other immediate drought relief measures.

Demanding urgent release of the financial relief to the affected states, the Leader of the Opposition urged the Union Government to promptly acknowledge the severity of the drought situation in Karnataka and damage caused due to floods and heavy rains in several states, and release the requisite funds including interim relief and assistance with immediate effect.