In a letter to the prime minister, Shivakumar warned that the prolonged rainfall deficit has severely impacted the state’s rural economy and that the drought is likely to intensify over the coming months.
The chief minister requested that the centre provide 50 % of the sum he had previously sought in a memorandum, amounting to ₹3,705.30 crore, while a formal assessment by a central team is completed.
He also asked for the advance release of the central share of the second instalment of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is intended to finance emergency measures at the state level.
Shivakumar projected that crop losses could exceed 40 lakh hectares across Karnataka, a scale that would threaten food security and livelihoods in the affected districts.
According to the letter, the requested funds would be used for immediate relief actions, including compensation for crop losses, provision of drinking water, protection of livestock and other essential interventions needed to stabilise the rural economy.