Steps being taken to mitigate impact of drought, says Dharwad Deputy Commissioner

Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Snehal R. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO With eight taluks in Dharwad district being declared drought-hit in the wake of a deficit in rainfall and crop damage in over 2.88 lakh hectares, Dharwad district administration has initiated steps to minimise the impact of the drought on farmers and the public.Deputy Commissioner Snehal R., who is also chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority, has said in a statement that weekly meetings were being organised to monitor the drought situation and ensure drinking water and fodder for people and livestock.“Farmers seeking drought relief have been asked to register all their survey numbers on the FRUITS database and obtain a Farmer ID. They have also been advised to verify their crop details in the crop survey database and contact officials of the agriculture, horticulture or revenue departments within a week if their crops have not been recorded,” Ms. Snehal said.A joint assessment by these departments found damage to 2,71,417 hectares of agricultural crops and 16,659 hectares of horticultural crops. The assessment covers Dharwad, Alnavar, Kalghatgi, Kundgol, Annigeri, Navalgund, Hubballi and Hubballi Urban taluks.Navalgund recorded the highest crop loss at 58,428 hectares, followed by Dharwad (58,527 hectares), Kundgol (55,778 hectares), Hubballi (37,817 hectares), Kalghatgi (35,868 hectares), Annigeri (30,111 hectares), Alnavar (5,128 hectares) and Hubballi Urban (6,417 hectares).The taluk-wise crop loss proposals have been submitted to the government following the joint survey, she said.“The drinking water shortage has been reported in 17 villages across three taluks, with supplies being maintained through 19 private borewells. In four taluks, 55 drinking water tanks were filled from the Malaprabha reservoir in August and are expected to meet requirements until the end of November,” the Deputy Commissioner said.The district has about 3.68 lakh livestock and has 2.92 lakh tonnes of fodder, estimated to be sufficient for 35 weeks. Seven locations have been identified for fodder banks as a precautionary measure.Ms. Snehal has said that the administration was taking all requisite measures to mitigate the impact of the drought. Published - October 01, 2026 07:55 pm IST