Four states have declared drought in over 390 talukas so far. Central teams will visit Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan to assess the situation, Parliament was informed on Friday.

Diseases, inadequate rains and fall in prices add to farmers’ woes Once a hub of horticulture, Bagalkot district has suffered a set back due to drought this year.

Farmers are facing losses to the tune of crores of rupees, due to the conditions hostile to the cultivation of horticultural produce. The Horticulture department presents a gloomy picture, putting the estimated loss at Rs 33 crore. There is a drastic reduction in the quality and quantity of pomegranate, turmeric, chikoo, guava, grapes and banana, the prime crops cultivated in the district.

The Central government has released a sum of Rs. 501 crore under the Integrated Watershed Management Scheme (IWMP) as part of the drought-mitigation measures in the afflicted zones of Maharashtra.

In a letter to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh said that in keeping with the gravity of the drought being faced by the State owing to deficient rains till July, the Empowered Group of Ministers had approved to waive off the deduction of unspent balance from the first instalment of central assistance for 2012-13 under the IWMP.

New Delhi Four states — Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan — have declared drought in over 390 talukas as so far and central teams will visit these states to assess the situation, Parliament was informed on Friday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said four states have declared drought so far. “The central teams have been constituted to visit these states for assessing the situation.” Rainfall deficiency is 12% so far. The ministry is closely monitoring monsoon situation along with India Meteorological Department and state governments, he said.

The World Bank issued a global hunger warning last night after severe droughts in the US and eastern Europe sent food prices to a record high.

World climate change negotiators faced warnings yesterday that a string of extreme weather events around the globe show urgent action on emission cuts is needed as they opened new talks in Bangkok.

With 100-car convoy, BSY team scurries through villages, spends 2 hrs at party meet

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa’s tour to drought-hit Nanjanagud taluk on Thursday turned out to be a show of strength. More than 30,000 party workers, who had come in 200 buses and 100 cars, formed a human wall, depriving impoverished residents of the drought-hit regions even a glimpse of the BJP leaders. Yeddyurappa and his team completed their visit to the villages within half an hour and spent more than two hours at the party workers’ convention, held lavishly at Chikkamballi.

Urges govts to shore up programs to protect their most vulnerable populations

World food prices jumped 10 percent in July as drought parched crop lands in the United States and Eastern Europe, the World Bank said in a statement urging governments to shore up programs that protect their most vulnerable populations. From June to July, corn and wheat prices rose by 25 percent each, soybean prices by 17 percent, and only rice prices went down, by 4 percent, the World Bank said on Thursday.

The drought parching the United States is one of the worst in the nation's history, but it hasn't been as destructive as the drought that may have withered ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom.

Karnataka, that had sought Rs 11,600 crore assistance from the Centre for drought relief, is still waiting for the amount it asked.

Deputy Chief Minister K S Eswarappa said here in Mysore on Tuesday that the Centre has so far released Rs 700 crore. The Centre would be asked to release more funds. A team led by the chief minister would visit Delhi for the purpose. Three Central teams have so far visited Karnataka to study the drought situation.