Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced an additional relief package for flood-hit farmers, supplementing the compensation provided under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
As per NDRF norms, compensation stands at ₹8,500 per hectare for dryland crops, ₹17,000 per hectare for irrigated crops, and ₹22,500 per hectare for perennial crops. The CM said the state government will provide an additional ₹8,500 per hectare, effectively increasing the total relief to:
- ₹17,000 per hectare for dryland crops
- ₹25,500 per hectare for irrigated crops
- ₹31,000 per hectare for perennial crops
Siddaramaiah stated that together, the NDRF and state relief package will amount to over ₹2,000–₹2,500 crore, which will be directly credited to farmers’ bank accounts once surveys are completed.
He emphasized that 10 lakh hectares of farmland have been damaged across Karnataka, with over 95% crop loss reported in eight northern districts including Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Gadag, Kalaburagi and Dharwad. Joint crop damage surveys are still ongoing, and the compensation will be released immediately after completion, he assured.
The CM also highlighted:
- 117 villages across four districts have been severely affected, with 80 relief centres opened.
- 52 human lives lost due to rain-related incidents, with compensation already disbursed to families.
- 422 livestock deaths reported, majority in Yadgir district, with relief distributed to owners.
- Over 547 houses fully damaged and 7,000 partially damaged, with ₹23.12 crore disbursed to affected families so far.
- 4,858 families who lost household items have received ₹2.42 crore in aid.
Siddaramaiah noted that the state is witnessing unprecedented rainfall, with North Karnataka recording 22% excess rains, causing not just crop damage but also erosion of fertile topsoil. He instructed departments to initiate desilting of tanks and use of fertile silt for rejuvenating farmlands.
The CM also directed officials to ensure fitness inspections of schools in flood-affected villages, safe drinking water supply, and health checks in children’s hostels to prevent outbreaks of communicable diseases.
“Funds are available in the PD account, and there is no shortage of money for relief and rehabilitation,” Siddaramaiah assured, adding that the state will also urge the Centre for additional financial assistance considering the magnitude of crop loss and infrastructure damage.
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