Belagavi: District minister Satish Jarkiholi on Wednesday directed officials to quickly assess crop losses caused by inadequate rainfall and ensure timely compensation to eligible farmers.Chairing the quarterly Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) review meeting at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, he called for proactive measures on drinking water supply, crop insurance, irrigation and fodder availability.Expressing concern over the rainfall deficit in parts of the district, Jarkiholi ordered the formation of a joint team comprising officials from the agriculture, revenue, irrigation, horticulture and Hescom departments to conduct field surveys and recommend water-release measures.He also asked departments to prioritise local contractors for govt works and identify land in every taluk for hostels under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe welfare schemes. DC Mohammed Roshan said Bailhongal, Belagavi, Savadatti and Mudalagi taluks had recorded below-normal rainfall. If the deficit remains below 50% of normal for three consecutive weeks, a recommendation for drought declaration will be submitted to the state govt. He added that crop-loss data from affected taluks would be uploaded to the govt portal to facilitate compensation under NDRF norms. Water levels in the Ghataprabha, Krishna and Malaprabha basins are being monitored, with Malaprabha posing the biggest concern.
