Overview
- Three Central inter‑ministerial teams began field verification in Karnataka on Saturday after being briefed by state officials and will visit different regions over a three‑day assessment.
- Karnataka has declared 217 of 240 taluks drought‑hit and has submitted two memorandums, with loss assessments for 177 taluks totalling about ₹46,000 crore and a formal request for ₹3,705.30 crore under NDRF/SDRF rules.
- State leaders say assessments in the remaining taluks are underway and a third consolidated memorandum will follow the central teams' ground checks before the Centre decides on any sanction.
- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has asked the Prime Minister and Home Minister to urgently release the ₹3,705.30 crore, send a separate team to Kalyana Karnataka, and ensure relief calculations use Karnataka's updated Bhoomi land records to protect small and marginal farmers.
- Low reservoir storage and crop failures threaten drinking water and incomes, with officials warning more than 2,000 gram panchayats could face water stress from February 2027 and the state estimating total losses may reach ₹50,000–₹60,000 crore, affecting fodder, milk and sugarcane producers.