Kharge writes to PM and HM
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The Karnataka government is seeking ₹7,143 crore in central aid to address a severe drought affecting 177 taluks. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged the Prime Minister and Home Minister to expedite this relief, citing the crisis as potentially the worst in 150 years.
Karnataka Faces Unprecedented Drought Crisis
The state of Karnataka is currently grappling with a severe agricultural crisis, as the government has formally requested ₹7,142.64 crore in financial assistance from the Union government. This demand follows extensive crop losses recorded during the 2026 kharif season. The situation has escalated rapidly, with the state initially seeking ₹3,705.30 crore for 101 drought-affected taluks, only to revise the figure significantly upward as the geographic scope of the drought expanded to 177 taluks.
The Scope of the Crisis
The scale of the disaster is underscored by the ongoing ground verification in an additional 40 taluks, suggesting that the final count of affected regions could rise further. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has been actively engaging with the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to present evidence of the damage. This documentation is critical for the state to secure the necessary funding to mitigate the impact on the agricultural sector, which remains the backbone of the state's rural economy.
Political Advocacy for Relief
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has elevated the issue to the highest levels of the central government, writing directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. In his correspondence, Kharge described the current situation as potentially the worst drought in 150 years. He emphasized that the magnitude of this crisis is beyond the state's independent capacity to manage, necessitating an urgent and robust intervention from the federal government to prevent a total collapse of rural livelihoods.
Targeting Vulnerable Populations
A core component of the state’s demand is the focus on small and marginal farmers, particularly those in the historically dry Hyderabad-Karnataka belt. These regions are disproportionately affected by water scarcity and crop failure. Kharge has specifically requested that the central government utilize the updated Bhoomi land records for calculating input subsidies, rather than relying on the outdated 2015-16 Agriculture Census. This shift is viewed as vital to ensure that currently eligible farmers are not excluded from aid due to obsolete data.
Broader Implications and Future Trends
Beyond immediate financial relief, the state is calling for enhanced support for drinking water security and the costs associated with substitute crops. This drought highlights a recurring challenge for Indian states: the vulnerability of agrarian economies to climate-induced variations in seasonal rainfall. If the current trend of expanding drought zones continues, Karnataka may need to pivot toward more permanent, climate-resilient agricultural policies and infrastructure to manage water resources more effectively in the future.
Conclusion
The request for ₹7,143 crore represents a critical juncture for Karnataka’s administration. With the IMCT's assessment underway, the focus now shifts to whether the central government will accept the state's updated data metrics and provide the requested support. The resolution of this request will not only determine the immediate recovery for thousands of farmers but also set a precedent for how federal-state cooperation handles large-scale natural calamities in an era of increasing climate instability.
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