D K Shivakumar in the legislature. Photo supplied with the press statement.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release 50% of the ₹3,705.30 crore sought in the state’s drought memorandum as interim assistance, while the prescribed assessment and approval process is completed.
In a letter dated September 23, 2026, Shivakumar also sought advance release of the Centre’s share of the second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), citing a worsening drought situation and the need to support immediate relief measures.
The letter, numbered D.O. CM/SEC/79/2026, refers to the September 10 submission of Karnataka’s Kharif 2026 drought memorandum seeking ₹3,705.30 crore for 101 drought-declared taluks.
Additional 76 taluks take drought list to 177
Shivakumar said the state had since declared another 76 taluks drought-affected following a scientific assessment under the Manual for Drought Management, 2020, taking the total to 177 at the time of the letter.
He said more than 200 taluks could ultimately be declared drought-affected by the end of the southwest monsoon season. Losses in the additional taluks were being assessed, and a further memorandum seeking assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) would be submitted after that exercise.
Interim funds sought while assessment proceeds
The Chief Minister said an Inter-Ministerial Central Team was proposed to be deputed for a first-hand assessment. Its report would be considered by the Sub-Committee of the National Executive Committee, followed by the High-Level Committee for consideration and approval.
While describing the process as comprehensive, he said it was necessarily time-consuming in a rapidly evolving drought situation. The requested interim assistance would help the state provide input subsidy for crop losses, drinking-water supply, livestock protection and other essential relief, he wrote.
Letter flags possible crop losses and Bengaluru water stress
Shivakumar warned that continued deterioration in rainfall and moisture conditions could lead to crop losses exceeding 40 lakh hectares. This is a projection in the letter; assessment of the additional affected areas was still underway.
Low reservoir storage, particularly in the Cauvery basin, was likely to affect drinking-water availability in Bengaluru and adjoining districts in the coming months, he said. The letter also warned that drought conditions could intensify and become more acute during summer.
Rainfall during June–August is important not only for Kharif crops but also for reservoir replenishment, hydropower, fodder availability and groundwater recharge, the Chief Minister noted.
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