Ballari records 49% monsoon deficit as crop damage spans 71,756 hectares

Ballari district is facing a severe southwest monsoon rainfall deficit that has caused crop damage across 71,756.5 hectares, officials said at a drought management meeting chaired by district in-charge Secretary Trilok Chandra K.V. in Ballari on Saturday. The meeting, held at the new district administration complex, reviewed drinking water, fodder and relief arrangements for both rural and urban areas.

The southwest monsoon between June and September is the main sowing season for kharif crops in Karnataka. Deputy Commissioner K. Nagendra Prasad told the meeting that Ballari received only 186.3 mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 30 against a normal of 365.6 mm, a shortfall of 49%.

The deficit was particularly severe in Sandur taluk, which recorded a 68% shortfall, and Kampli taluk, which recorded 65%. The rainfall shortage has also led to a sharp decline in groundwater levels, with Sandur registering a fall of up to 8.26 metres, Mr. Prasad said.

Field inspections found damage to 67,236.5 hectares of agricultural crops and 4,520 hectares of horticultural crops. More than 50% damage was reported in 96.87% of the plots surveyed. Siruguppa taluk accounted for the largest affected area at 44,231.6 hectares, followed by Sandur at 20,278 hectares.

The district administration has sought approximately ₹79.91 crore in assistance under National Disaster Response Fund norms. The process of entering farmers’ details into the Parihara software for relief is under way, and 50,828 farmers in the district have registered under the crop insurance scheme for the kharif season, Mr. Prasad said.

Officials told the meeting that 204 of the 1,874 borewells in rural areas have temporarily become non-functional owing to reduced water yield. The district in-charge Secretary directed officials to closely monitor the situation and ensure that people and livestock do not face shortages of drinking water and fodder.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Haris Sumair said 53,167 families had been provided employment under the VB-G RAM G scheme, generating 11.20 lakh person-days. An expenditure of around ₹27 crore had been incurred towards wage payments, he said.

Animal Husbandry Department officials said approximately 2.20 lakh tonnes of fodder was available in the district, sufficient for the next 23 weeks. To help farmers meet fodder requirements, 3,334 small fodder packets had already been distributed across the district, they said.

The figures presented at the meeting show the scale of agricultural stress in Ballari, where a rain shortfall has affected standing crops and water availability. The district administration is processing relief and insurance claims while monitoring drinking water and livestock fodder supplies, officials said.