Karnataka faces severe drought as CM D K Shivakumar warns
India
Karnataka is in the grip of a tough drought, and Chief Minister D K Shivakumar isn't sugarcoating it.
Groundwater has dropped sharply, crops are struggling, and now there's real concern about running short on both water and electricity.
As of mid-September, 100 taluks have been declared drought-hit.
Karnataka power demand exceeds 19,000 MW
With electricity use shooting past 19,000 MW, the state is having to buy extra power at steep prices just to keep up.
The government is looking at options like ramping up thermal plants and tapping into the national grid ("One Nation, One Grid") to help out.
The legislature will spend two days discussing farmers' concerns arising from the drought.