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Agriculture
Karnataka grapples with worst drought in 75 years as 90% crops lost, says Deputy CM
✍️ India Today
🗓 08 Oct 2026, 07:02 AM
👁 14
Deputy Chief Minister L. Parameshwara warned that Karnataka is enduring its most severe drought in three‑quarters of a century, with roughly nine‑tenths of the season's crops reported lost.
Bengaluru, Karnataka – Deputy Chief Minister L. Parameshwara announced that the state is confronting the worst drought in 75 years, with an estimated 90% of the current agricultural output destroyed. The assessment was based on surveys across key farming districts that showed widespread wilting and failure of staple crops such as paddy, millets and pulses.
The deputy chief minister highlighted that the prolonged shortfall in monsoon rainfall has left reservoirs at critically low levels, exacerbating water scarcity for irrigation. Farmers in regions like Raichur, Bellary and Mysuru are reporting severe distress as their fields remain barren.
State officials are monitoring the situation closely and have begun to coordinate with the central government for possible relief measures, though specific interventions were not detailed at the time of the statement.
The drought threatens not only the livelihoods of thousands of smallholders but also the broader food‑security outlook for Karnataka, prompting calls for urgent water‑conservation and crop‑support strategies.
Parameshwara urged the public and private sectors to collaborate in mitigating the impact, emphasizing that swift action is essential to prevent a deeper agricultural crisis.
The deputy chief minister highlighted that the prolonged shortfall in monsoon rainfall has left reservoirs at critically low levels, exacerbating water scarcity for irrigation. Farmers in regions like Raichur, Bellary and Mysuru are reporting severe distress as their fields remain barren.
State officials are monitoring the situation closely and have begun to coordinate with the central government for possible relief measures, though specific interventions were not detailed at the time of the statement.
The drought threatens not only the livelihoods of thousands of smallholders but also the broader food‑security outlook for Karnataka, prompting calls for urgent water‑conservation and crop‑support strategies.
Parameshwara urged the public and private sectors to collaborate in mitigating the impact, emphasizing that swift action is essential to prevent a deeper agricultural crisis.