Monsoon rains wreak havoc across Karnataka, causing floods, crop loss
Bengaluru: Heavy monsoon rains over the past few days have caused widespread flooding, crop destruction and disruption of normal life across several regions of Karnataka. Rivers and reservoirs are overflowing, roads have been cut off, and thousands of acres of farmland are under water, bringing severe distress to farmers and residents.
Large parts of Kalyana Karnataka, the coastal belt and Malnad region have been worst hit. In Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Bidar districts, continuous rainfall on Friday led to inundation of villages and farmland. In Jewargi taluk of Kalaburagi district, a farmer, Khaja Hussaini, suffered a major setback after 5,800 papaya trees on leased land were washed away, causing a loss of nearly ₹35 lakh. Cotton crops ready for harvest were also damaged in nearby villages.
The Bennethora reservoir released heavy outflow, submerging the Kalagi-Malghan bridge and cutting off traffic movement. Several villages, including Hale Hebbal, Kanasuru, Malghan, Tengali and Kalgurthi, were inundated. Waterlogging also forced authorities to declare a holiday at Donur Government High Primary School.
In Bidar, the overflowing Manjra and Karanja rivers entered farmlands and villages. District Minister Eshwar Khandre, who inspected affected areas in Bhalki, Aurad and Kamalnagar taluks, said crops on more than one lakh hectares have been damaged. He instructed officials to complete a crop loss survey within ten days and assured that farmers would be compensated.
Meanwhile, 55,512 cusecs of water was discharged from the Tungabhadra dam, prompting a flood alert in villages along the river. Several monuments in Hampi and Anegundi were inundated for the fifth time this season.
In coastal and Malnad Karnataka, heavy rain led to the release of 75,000 cusecs of water into the Sharavathi river from the Gerusoppa dam in Honnavar taluk of Uttara Kannada district. Residents were shifted to 15 relief centres. Traffic movement was hit in Bhatkal town due to waterlogging, while a section of the Gokarna-Sirsi state highway was damaged. A minor mudslide was also reported in Honnavar. Castle Rock in Uttara Kannada recorded 200 mm of rain within 24 hours on Friday.
Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts reported intermittent heavy showers. In Shivamogga district, the Linganamakki dam neared full capacity, leading to a rejuvenated Jog Falls. The Tunga, Bhadra and Mani reservoirs also approached maximum levels.
Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu too witnessed continuous downpours. Authorities in Kodagu declared a holiday for schools and colleges on Friday as a precautionary measure. Landslides forced the closure of the Thamarassery Ghat road to Wayanad, with vehicles diverted through alternate routes. Rainfall was recorded at 115 mm in Sampaje and 100 mm each in Bhagamandala and Virajpet over the past 24 hours.
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India is the place for large-scale organic production, says Commerce Secretary
Nuremberg (PTI): India is the place for large-scale organic production and the country is keen to collaborate with the EU to strengthen this ecosystem to cater to rising demands, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said here on Tuesday.
Agrawal also said that India's organic products exports have grown threefold over the last 10 years, and the government now aims to triple them again over the next five years.
"India is the place" to serve the world as a good organic food basket, he said, adding that India has 150.3 million hectares of agricultural land under cultivation.
He said that the organic ecosystem is growing very fast in the country, as today, 3 per cent of India's cultivation is organic.
In India, 4.7 million hectares of land is under organic cultivation, with 2.4 million farmers practising it, and it is only increasing by the day, he said.
The Secretary was speaking at the inauguration of Biofach 2026. About 100 exhibitors from 20 Indian states, including Assam, Meghalaya, and Kerala, are here to showcase their organic food products at the world's leading trade fair Biofach show (February 10-13).
He informed that India is emerging as a credible supplier of organic food, both within India and outside.
"I see this happening in a much faster manner. So if world needs the state for organic production, I think India is the place, and we like to work with all of you to see how we can improve the Indian organic food ecosystem to serve both the Indian rising demand within India and also the rising demand in two of our biggest markets," he said.
He called for creating credibility around organic foods. There is a need to ensure trust and credibility around the certification of these products.
India started with the national programme for organic production way back in 2001 and that was designed to adopt the international standards of organic goods.
"And now we are bringing in cooperatives in a big way," he said, adding that cooperatives can bring in and aggregate farmers to create good, viable organic ecosystem in various villages across the country.
