Tur on 1.98 lakh hectares in Kalaburagi damaged due to wilt disease

KALABURAGI: The Kalaburagi district administration has submitted a comprehensive report on the Tur crop loss due to complex wilt disease to the State government stating that of the 4.78 lakh hectares areas of Tur in the district, standing tur crop in 1.98 lakh hectares has been badly affected.

Official sources told Express that in the preliminary report conducted upto December 1st week, the district administration has shown the loss due to complex wilt disease in 69,747 hectares of land. Many organizations including Congress and Janata Dal (S) had raised objections to this report alleging that the report is far from the truth and demanded a comprehensive survey and to provide compensation to the farmers of the district.

The Janata Dal (S) led by former Kumaraswamy staged a demonstration in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha on 7th December demanding a suitable compensation. Many organizations observed a Bandh at Chincholi today (16th January), while the Left parties have given ‘Kalaburagi Bandh’ call on January 17. District in-charge Minister Murugesh Nirani, who chaired a KDP meeting on 7th January, directed the Agriculture Department to conduct a comprehensive survey of the loss due to complex wilt disease and submit a report to the government within 5 days.

Following the directions from the District Minister, the Agriculture Department started a comprehensive survey on 10th January and submitted the report to the Deputy Commissioner on 13th January, sources said. The report has been forwarded to the government by the Deputy Commissioner. It has been said in the report that Tur has been cultivated in 4,78,702 hectares of the district. In the preliminary survey done in December 1st week, it was noticed that 69,747 hectares was affected.

In the second survey conducted in the second week of January, it was noticed that 1,28,741 hectares of land has been affected due to complex wilt disease in addition to earlier survived area of 69,747 hectares. The total affected land due to wilt disease is 1,98,488 hectares, the report said. It is said that in the forthcoming Cabinet meeting, the matter will be discussed and the government may announce compensation after the cabinet meeting.