Mandya: Expressing concern over the drought-like situation prevailing in Karnataka, agriculture minister PM Narendraswamy on Sunday said the govt would raise farmers’ problems in the legislative assembly and place the ground realities before the House.Speaking at Halaguru in Mandya district, he said farmers had procured only about 20% of the required seeds so far, though nearly 90% of sowing should have been completed by now. Even among those who had obtained seeds, sowing remained incomplete. The govt would discuss farmers’ difficulties in the Assembly and take steps to safeguard their interests, he added.Referring to weather conditions, Narendraswamy said the situation was alarming, with little sign of rain and satellite images pointing to adverse weather patterns. The issue has already been discussed by the cabinet sub-committee, he said, adding that similar weather anomalies were being witnessed across the world and were not confined to Karnataka.The minister said the govt was making every effort to protect farmers’ interests while complying with legal obligations governing the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.Stating that the govt was aware of protests against the release of water to TN, he said the actual ground situation had been presented before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and the Supreme Court.“Farmers’ interests have to be protected, but the law of the land must also be respected. The govt is working to balance both responsibilities,” he said, appealing to farmers to cooperate. As a precaution, he advised them to opt for short-duration crop varieties this year.Narendraswamy said Mandya, a predominantly agricultural district, was facing severe distress due to crop losses. However, the govt was prepared to take measures to protect people and livestock. Calling it one of the worst situations witnessed in the state, he warned that conditions could become extremely difficult if the dry spell continued for another month.He also cautioned that Bengaluru could face a drinking water crisis if conditions worsened, stressing that ensuring drinking water availability must remain the govt’s top priority.Reacting to the BJP’s padayatra to Ballari, the minister questioned the need for the protest and said that if the Opposition was serious, it should raise the issue in the Assembly instead of taking to the streets.‘Hit-and-run politics’: Minister targets HDKTaking a dig at Union minister HD Kumaraswamy’s repeated claims of possessing explosive documents, Narendraswamy compared him to a traditional snake charmer carrying baskets but never revealing their contents. He alleged that Kumaraswamy had repeatedly threatened disclosures without producing any evidence. Describing his approach as “hit-and-run politics”, the minister challenged him to release the documents and substantiate his allegations. He also said chief minister DK Shivakumar was fully capable of responding to Kumaraswamy’s political moves.
