Drought in Karnataka

Karnataka is reeling under its worst drought in 10 years in the wake of the failure of the south-west monsoon. The symptoms were visible two months ago, but the state machinery is only now gearing up to tackle the situation, even as incidents of crop loss, cattle deaths, and mass migration of labour come to the fore. The state has sought financial assistance from the centre, but the question is how efficiently the money is spent and whether it reaches the needy. Ultimately, however, only long-term measures, such as rejuvenating the natural resource base, will help to tackle the scourge of drought.