Bengaluru: With 160 out of 176 taluks facing acute shortage of water, the state is likely to declared ‘drought-hit’.During the kharif season in 2016, the state government declared 139 taluks as drought-hit and sought Rs 4,702 crore funds from the Centre for drought relief works. During the rabi season, the list has gone up to 160 taluks.

With the monsoon expected to arrive in June, the state is feared to face drought in 2017 as 25 to 30 districts of the state faced severe rainfall deficit in 2016.

Of the 30 districts, only one district Bidar had received excess rainfall. The four districts which have received normal rainfall are Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Kalaburagi.

The average normal rainfall for the state is about 1,155 mm, while the actual rainfall received was 831 mm from January to December last. The deficit was around 28%. “Rainfall recorded in 2016 is the lowest in the past 45 years. We have not considered the records prior to 1971. We will be staring at the present dry period till we get rains which could be in June, reported DHNS.

As per sources, four major reservoirs- KRS, Harangi, Kabini and Hemavathi too will be hit by the deficit.

On an average, 3 tmcft per month is required to meet the drinking water requirement of 40 towns including Bengaluru and Mysuru in addition to 600 villages in the Cauvery basin. Of the 15.4 tmcft available, only 11 tmcft would be available due to seepage and other losses.