New Delhi: Rajasthan has declared drought in five districts while Karnataka has done so in 142 talukas, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.
“So far, Karnataka and Rajasthan have declared drought in 142 out of the 176 taluks and in five out of the 33 districts in the states, respectively,” Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
According to the report of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as on August 12, overall rainfall deficit for the country as a whole was 16 per cent, Pawar said.
Excess rainfall has been reported from one sub-division, normal in 17, deficient in 13 and scanty rainfall reported in three sub-divisions out of the total 36 sub-divisions in the country, he said quoting IMD.
He said sowing of crops have been hit by weak monsoon. “Against an average area of 105.70 million hectares under kharif cultivation in the entire country, 85.4 million hectares are normally sown by August 8. This year 80.2 million hectares have been covered under various crops by August 8, 2012,” Pawar said.
On steps taken by the government, Pawar said the government has introduced diesel subsidy scheme, enhancement of seed subsidy, up-scaling the central sector scheme on feed and fodder and waiver of import duty on oil cakes. —PTI