Bengaluru: The State Govt. has declared 14 more taluks drought-hit in Karnataka. With this, the total number of drought-hit taluks has gone up to 100.

Revenue Minister R.V. Deshpande said that as many as 86 taluks were declared drought-hit in the first phase, followed by 14 more taluks in the second phase. There are about 227 taluks in the State. Anekal, Devanahalli, Doddaballapura, Turvekere, Holalkere, Hosadurga, Davanagere, Jagalur, Pandavpura, Aurad, Basavakalyan, Athani, Biligi and Mudhol taluks have been added to the list. As per the revised guidelines, Deshpande said a taluk can be declared drought-hit with a 60% rain deficit or a dry spell of three weeks with 33% crop loss. “Though the monsoon (June-September) was near normal in coastal, south interior and Malnad regions with record rainfall causing floods in seven districts, deficit rain forced the State Government to declare 23 districts drought-hit,” he added.