Farmers in Belagavi district are outraged, claiming that the government’s compensation for crop losses is insufficient, barely covering even the cost of sowing. This year, Belagavi district has faced crop losses worth ₹700 crore due to heavy rains, yet the government has only disbursed ₹70 crore in compensation. Farmers are disheartened, likening the relief to a mere drop in the ocean given the scale of the devastation.
The monsoon rains wreaked havoc across Belagavi for two months, damaging 62,000 acres of farmland along the Krishna, Ghataprabha, and Malaprabha rivers. Key crops, including sugarcane, paddy, soybean, maize, and potatoes, were destroyed. Following a survey by the Revenue, Agriculture, and Horticulture Departments, officials reported to the government that 24,500 hectares of agricultural land had been severely affected.
Following National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) regulations, the Belagavi district administration distributed compensation to affected farmers. However, farmers, who had already suffered from last year’s drought, are now grappling with the aftermath of these heavy rains. They say the compensation is insufficient, lamenting that the funds do not even cover the costs of replanting.
Irrigated landowners received ₹17,000 per hectare, while farmers with rain-fed land were given ₹8,000. Regardless of how much land was lost, compensation was capped at two hectares per farmer. Beyond agriculture, 338 homes were completely destroyed, 567 were partially damaged, and 323 houses were reported to have suffered minor damage due to the rain.
District Collector Mohammad Roshan informed the media that ₹2.71 crore had been distributed to 231 victims whose homes were completely damaged. Compensation for partially damaged homes amounted to ₹1.36 crore for 455 households, with an additional ₹1.36 crore distributed to those with minor damages. The district administration plans to provide compensation to the remaining victims within a week.
Speaking to ETV India, Karnataka State Farmers Association and Green Sena State President Choonappa Pujari criticized the inadequate compensation, noting that the NDRF guidelines, based on outdated 20-year-old policies, are no longer applicable. “With rising costs of all essentials, including petrol, the government must reconsider and provide more support to the farmers,” he urged.
Another farmer leader, Prakash Naika, also condemned the government’s response, pointing out that while officials have benefitted from pay hikes, farmers, who have suffered for years from COVID-19, floods, and drought, have received little aid. He further criticized the crop damage survey as inadequate.
