Drought-hit Karnataka prays for rain, govt looks to tap cloud seeding route

The last part of the series looks at the situation in the state and steps being taken to address the crisis

Droughts are not new to Karnataka. Between 2001 and 2018, the government declared droughts in different parts of the state in 14 years. Of the 24 districts that face risk of a perennial drought in the country, 16 are in Karnataka, suggests research by the Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture. These include the districts of Hassan, Kolar, Davangere, Belagavi, Bagalkot, and Bengaluru Rural.

But, the crop year of 2018-19 was harsher, owing to two consecutive deficit rainfall years, state officials say. A range of economic consequences and crisis followed — a drop in agriculture production and