04 Jun Kalyana Karnataka’s Development Predicament in the Face of Climate Change
Written by Aditi Apparaju and Sheetal Patil
Edited by Sofia Juliet Rajan
The leeward side of the northern Western Ghats extends into the Deccan Plateau, sloping gently eastward. The northwestern Deccan Plateau, home to districts of North Karnataka, is characterised by hot semi-arid ecoregions. The Krishna River and its major tributary, the Bhima, flow-through, heading towards the Bay of Bengal. This region falls in the northeastern dry and transition zones, experiencing hot summers, mild winters, and an annual rainfall of 600-750 mm. The undulating terrain is shallow with medium black, with lateritic soils and moisture available for crops for 90-150 days annually.
The northernmost part of Karnataka, referred to as Kalyana Karnataka, has the most climate-vulnerable semi-arid landscapes in the state. Three-quarters of agriculture is rainfed, with dominant crops of red gram, green gram, black gram, sugarcane, and sorghum and a recent shift towards cash crops like cotton and chilli. Despite lower population densities according to the 2011 Census, over half the population are non-workers. According to the recent State Human Development Report, this region is the “least developed and backward” in terms of education, health and productivity.
Considering such biophysical and socio-economic aspects, and consulting with practitioners in our network, we set out for scoping visits in April 2024 to understand nuances of intersections between climate change and immobility in three districts— Gulbarga, Raichur, and Yadgir.
Understanding the Social and Environmental Landscape
We conducted Key Informant Interviews with local organisations working on watershed development, agriculture, farmer producer companies, education and health. Interview themes included current agricultural practices, produce marketing and value addition, climate variability, migration, and gender roles, and general development initiatives. Our conversations with farmers and visits to villages revealed the relatively underdeveloped nature of the northern region compared to its southern counterpart. “Migration has become a habit in these districts during the agricultural off-season,” noted a key informant, from MYRADA, an organisation working in the least developed and drought-prone areas on education, capacity building, livelihoods, health, natural resource management and resettlement.
Economic strain and declining returns from agriculture have prompted significant migration flows as residents seek better livelihood opportunities. Proximity to urban centres like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru facilitates seasonal migration, drawing not just young men but entire families to non-farm jobs such as construction, brick kilns, cement factories, and packing units. A farmer from Koiloor village in Yadgir district remarked, “Construction work pays ₹500 a day in Yadgir and ₹1,000 in Bangalore,” highlighting non-farm income opportunities through temporary migration.
Our observations from visits to five villages across the three districts and interactions with rural residents and farmers are categorised into three key themes: water conservation initiatives, agricultural research and development, and investment through special regional status.
Water Conservation for Crops
In Kalyana Karnataka, agriculture is the mainstay for the workforce, with 70% of cultivation being rainfed. Availability of irrigation in areas covered by canals built as a part of Upper Krishna Project Stage-II was directly linked to out-migration among farmers. They frequently mentioned the need for water sources and storage infrastructure for non-rainy months, citing water scarcity and changing rainfall patterns affecting both cropping and migration practices. Middle-aged and older farmers showed little interest in migrating, frequent drought push younger males and families to migrate, indicating a generational shift in livelihood patterns.
“If the rains are not good or are delayed, we do not sow short-duration crops like green gram and black gram.”
– Farmer, Hathuagunda village near Gulbarga
Red gram, or tur, is a long-duration crop sown in June with shorter intercrops like green gram and black gram that are harvested in August and sorghum or bajra sown around October and harvested just before the red gram in January. Poor rainfall restricts farmers to one crop, reducing their earnings and affecting food and nutrition security and diversity.
Farmers acknowledge government and NGO efforts in building infrastructure for water conservation like larger watersheds, lakes, and individual farm ponds (Krishi honda) for groundwater recharge, aquifer management, and short-term water storage. However, they demand initiatives to improve water availability during dry months. Innovative initiatives like shallow trenches across slopes to harvest rainwater, help percolation and prevent quick moisture loss from topsoil.
Research and Development to Climate-proofing Local Crops
The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Raichur undertakes extensive agronomic research focussing on climate change. Its Agro-climatic Studies Centre has developed Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) to replace the traditional water-intensive transplanting method, showing consistent results by increasing yields, reducing farmers’ costs by at least ₹5,000 per season, and lowering soil methane and CO2 levels. Farmers adopting DSR receive ₹5,000 from the Department of Agriculture. The Centre is also conducting futuristic research using growth chambers to simulate 2030 and 2050 climate scenarios, reflecting the projected temperature, CO2 and Methane rise to study potential impacts on crops and develop appropriate solutions.
Lead scientists at the Centre confirmed the region’s water scarcity and lack of infrastructure. They also highlighted having Integrated Farming Services Units in each taluk of Raichur, provision of climate data for farmers via the Damini App (IMD Pune’s Gramina Krishi Mausam Seva Project), and various new technologies. They claimed, “There is a lack of confidence in agriculture in the region, also supplemented by the lack of adoption of integrated farming and dry-land farming methods”.
Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board:
‘Old Wine in a New Bottle’
Established in 2013 as the Hyderabad Karnataka Region Development Board, and renamed in 2019, the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) oversees six districts: Bidar, Bellary, Kalaburagi, Koppal, Raichur, and Yadgir. The Board oversees the implementation of central and state schemes, collaborating closely with local authorities on infrastructure development, education, healthcare, agriculture, employment, and social welfare. It prepares an annual budget with the Advisory Council, with funds allocated by the State Legislature.
We found that local communities and farmers were either unaware of the Board and its activities or criticised its formation and functioning. A recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) highlighted inefficiencies in planning and implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation. Despite receiving ₹5,000 crore in 2023, the focus remained mainly on infrastructure development, specifically, road connectivity as per the CAG report. Echoing similar concerns, founding member of an NGO in Raichur remarked, “There is misalignment between the Board’s decision and executives responsible for implementation. Local political leaders also lack a long-term vision for the region’s development.”
More Questions than Answers
While the scoping visit was of immense value in understanding the biophysical and socio-economic nuances of selected districts in Kalyana Karnataka, we came back with more questions about development interventions. Water conservation initiatives by both the government and NGOs are commendable, but insufficient to help farmers cope with impacts of climate vagaries. This begs the question: how and where is the expansion of such initiatives possible? Agricultural research, tailored to anticipate climate scenarios holds promise, but rarely reaches farmers. The ineffectiveness of such cutting-edge scientific research results in loss of trust in agriculture. Constitutional efforts through KKRDB to address development gaps between districts could have resulted in phenomenal results if the Board functioned efficiently. The lack of accountability, transparency and willingness was apparent in all the discussions about the Board’s activities. Are there alternative approaches that would enable the Board to improve its efficiency and help the region and its people become climate resilient?