Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah warned on Thursday that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could disrupt fertiliser supply this year.
He was speaking at a meeting held under his chairmanship at the Vidhana Soudha, attended by district in-charge ministers, Deputy Commissioners, and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats to review drinking water supply in rural and urban areas.
He directed officials to prevent traders from hoarding and ensure the timely availability of fertilisers to farmers. Proper distribution of urea and diammonium phosphate must be ensured, and transportation to other states should be regulated with stricter checks at border check-posts.
The Chief Minister further instructed officials to respond promptly to public grievances related to drinking water. Control rooms should be set up at the taluk and ward levels, and district-level task forces should function actively.
All reverse osmosis units must function around the clock with an uninterrupted power supply. Teams should be deployed at the taluk level to ensure immediate repairs and resolve issues related to the drinking water supply.
He said there is no immediate shortage of fodder due to good rainfall in the past two years, but directed officials to ensure continued availability without negligence.
Task force meetings on drinking water should be conducted in all taluks and reports submitted, he instructed.
Officials were directed to take precautionary measures to prevent the supply of contaminated water and avoid health issues. He said it is the responsibility of Deputy Commissioners to ensure that such problems do not arise.
The Chief Minister noted that fertiliser sales in some districts, including Haveri, have already exceeded last year’s levels and questioned the reasons for this. He directed officials to closely monitor sales and ensure that eligible farmers do not face shortages.
Siddaramaiah also directed that priority be given to providing electricity connections for drinking water projects. The Panchayat Raj and Energy departments must coordinate, and delays due to deposit requirements should be avoided.
It can be recalled that amid concerns arising from instability in the Middle East, the Karnataka Agriculture Department has initiated a series of measures to ensure adequate availability and effective management of fertilisers for the upcoming monsoon season.
Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy is overseeing the implementation of these steps.
A statement released in this regard from the office of Minister Cheluvarayaswamy on Thursday said the geopolitical situation in the Middle East could disrupt the import of raw materials required for fertiliser production, raising apprehensions of supply constraints in the state.
In response, the department has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to safeguard fertiliser availability.
(IANS)
