Drought-prone’ label is not new to water-stressed Kolar district, which lies in the southeastern dry zone of Karnataka and is vulnerable to changes in climate and land use, and declining natural resources. The absence of a forest canopy, soil with no organic humus, vagaries of monsoon, frequent dry spells, and inadequate and ill-distributed rains have affected crop production and productivity here.
Of the total geographical area of 3,74,916 hectares (ha), 1,70,591 ha (45.5%) is cultivated, making agriculture the mainstay. Groundwater is overexploited in all six talukas of the district and can be accessed only at a depth of 1,500 ft. The district has 81,837 borewells and 726 micro-watersheds.