The Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed drought conditions in Maharashtra and Karnataka on Saturday during which the chief ministers sought immediate relief from the Centre. While Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah sought a Central assistance of Rs 12,277 crores, his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadanavis demanded Rs 10,000 crores to take up key irrigation projects.
While the CMs gave detailed presentations on their respective action plans to deal with the drought situations, the Prime Minister stressed on the need for medium and long-term “drought-proofing” solutions. The PM pressed the Karnataka CM to prepare for the monsoon season with check-dams, farm tanks and de-silting. He applauded the Maharashtra government for initiating the Climate-Resilient Agriculture Modernisation Project to be funded by the World Bank.
He applauded the Maharashtra government for initiating the Climate-Resilient Agriculture Modernisation Project to be funded by the World Bank. The project is over $600 million.
Mr Fadnavis told the Prime Minister that the state has embarked on an action plan for guaranteed irrigation in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions in the next three to four years. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah informed that 27 districts of the state are facing drought conditions and crops worth over Rs 15,000 crore have been destroyed.
The PM is meeting chief ministers of all the 11 drought-affected states and in the coming days.
The Prime Minister, incidentally, also stressed in his separate meetings with the chief ministers of the three states that there should be healthy competition among all the state governments on water conservation and management.
However, Mr Siddaramaiah mentioned that Karnataka should be given a fair share in the drought relief package to be arrived at by the Centre. He added that the state had been given lesser share in the past.
