Out of total land area of the Karnataka, only about 20% is forest area and efforts should be made to expand it to at least 33%, which is crucial to fight climate change, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“We are facing problems due to scarce rain this year. Situations like Cauvery water issue, drought, and shortage in food production have arisen. This affects the State’s GDP and per capita income. This time, 50% crop has been damaged in 40 lakh hectares,” he said, speaking at the Chief Minister’s Medal Presentation Ceremony organised by the Karnataka Forest Department at the Vidhana Soudha on Friday.
He said that a drought situation occurs every four to five years, and if the forest area increases, it is possible to prevent such extreme weather conditions.
