Shivamogga: The weak monsoon has triggered a drought-like situation across Shivamogga district.DC Prabhulinga Kavalikatti announced that the district administration is fully prepared with precautionary measures, prioritising drinking water supply by restricting reservoir and lake usage strictly for drinking. Plans are under way to rent private borewells and deploy tankers in high-scarcity rural and urban areas.Between June 1 and 17, the district received only 501.5 mm of rainfall against the normal 894.7 mm, marking a 44% deficit.Bhadravathi recorded the highest deficit at 54%, followed by Soraba at 47% and Hosanagara at 45%.Consequently, agricultural sowing has stalled severely. Out of a targeted 1,13,458 hectares, only 31,868 hectares (28.1%) have been sown. Paddy is worst hit, with just 13.2% of the target met, while maize stands at 48.9% and ragi at 45.5%, the DC informed.Livestock management remains secure with 10.6 lakh tonnes of fodder available, sufficient to sustain the district’s 4,84,298 large and 86,120 small animals for the next 50 weeks. For horticulture, which covers over 1.76 lakh hectares, farmers are urged to use drip systems, organic mulching, solar pump sets and green manure crops while avoiding high-water crops like banana and tomato. “The administration is fully equipped. Citizens need not panic, but must use water judiciously,” the DC explained.
