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A severe drought crisis in Karnataka has triggered a deepening agrarian emergency, leaving farmers burdened with mounting debt following crop failures. In Tumakuru and Dharwad districts, deficit rainfall has devastated yields of tomatoes, flowers, ragi, and jowar across lakhs of hectares. With 217 out of 240 taluks declared drought-affected, the Karnataka government has estimated agricultural losses at over 46,000 crore rupees and sought more than 7,000 crore rupees in central drought relief. A central team has begun a ground assessment of the situation, while local farmers describe the declared 2,500 rupees per acre subsidy as insufficient to recover heavy investment losses.

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00:00Get Real India now. Karnataka staring at a severe drought crisis with failed crops pushing farmers deeper into debt.
00:06As the agrarian crisis intensifies, the state now seeking thousands of crores in relief from the centre.
00:13Farmers struggling to make ends meet. It's tonight's Get Real India story.
00:40This is what drought looks like on the ground in Karnataka.
00:45For farmers in Tomakuru district, a failed monsoon has meant more than just a failed crop.
00:51It has meant mounting debt.
00:54Farmers invested lakhs of rupees, hoping for a good harvest of tomatoes, flowers, ragi and jowar.
01:04But with the rains failing, the crops withered away.
01:10Leaving farmers with little or no return on their investment.
01:20Harish had leased two acres of land and invested around four lakh rupees to grow tomatoes.
01:27But with the monsoon failing, the crop failed to deliver.
01:31Leaving him staring at losses instead of a harvest.
01:57For Srinivas, the damage is visible right on his field.
02:02He invested in ragi across 0.7 acres of land.
02:08But after nearly two months, without adequate rainfall, there is little sign of a crop.
02:16The crop has been sped down Yale Srinivas.
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03:01The government has sought over 7,000 crore rupees in drought relief.
03:06The state has estimated losses of nearly 46,325 crore across 177 drought hit taluks.
03:15The government has declared that 217 out of 240 taluks are drought affected.
03:23Earlier the state had sought 3,701 crore for drought relief across 101 taluks.
03:30And now a central team has begun a three-day ground assessment of the drought situation
03:37in the state.
03:40And the crisis is not confined to one region.
03:45In Dharwad, the administration says rainfall is 48 percent below normal.
03:50Around 2.88 lakh hectares of agricultural land have reported poor crop yields, affecting
03:58nearly 1.88 lakh farmers.
04:01Dharwad district, if we look at the monsoon period, we have a shortage of about 48 percent of rainfall.
04:07So we have made all preparations by engaging with farmers and villagers and all people across
04:12the city of Hubli Dharwad also.
04:15So in 17 villages, we are providing water through hired bore wells.
04:20We are not using any tankers in the district.
04:22While the center and the state government fight over the NDRF funds, the farmers of Karnataka
04:27are genuinely suffering for the failed monsoon over the last three months.
04:31The government has, in fact, declared 2,500 rupees per acre as subsidy given to the farmers
04:37due to the failed monsoon.
04:38The farmers are saying that's merely anything for their hard work.
04:42They demand much more subsidy amount or some package so that they can get out of this whole
04:48poverty cycle because of the failed monsoon.
04:51Nagarjun Dwarkanath for India Today.
04:53has a significant responsibility.
04:54of the

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