Hyderabad, Oct 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) The government of Telangana has declared 365 mandals in 31 districts as drought-affected for Kharif 2026, following deficit rainfall during the South West Monsoon due to the impact of El Nino.
Revenue Disaster Management Department issued an order to this effect on Tuesday.
The department has declared 111 mandals as severe drought mandals and 254 as moderate drought mandals for Kharif 2026.
This followed the recommendation made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on El-Nino impact and drought conditions in the state during the review meeting held on October 23.
Various Secretariat departments, Heads of Departments and all the Collectors & Magistrates of districts were requested to furnish detailed information and necessary proposals for declaration of mandals as drought-affected in their districts, in accordance with parameters prescribed under the National Manual for Drought Management 2016.
The proposals revealed that the South West Monsoon (SWM) 2026 in Telangana has been adversely affected by emerging and strengthening El-Nino conditions, weak Bay of Bengal Low-Pressure systems, and prolonged dry spells. The state as a whole received cumulative rainfall of 615.5 mm as against the normal rainfall of 740.6 mm, with a deviation of -17% during 1st June to 30th September 2026. With 18 of 33 districts in deficit, kharif crop area reduced from 139.28 to 126.06 lakh acres.
Paddy area reduced by 18% (from 69.19 lakh to 57 lakh acres) and current live storage in major and medium reservoirs is 179.63 TMC against 585 TMC capacity, raising risks to drinking water, agriculture, livestock and power.
The State Legislative Assembly on September 18 unanimously passed a resolution, urging the Central government to send a central team for assessment, to sanction NDRF assistance and release its share of SDRF, and to provide crop loss and input subsidy, drinking water, fodder and groundwater and water-body restoration support.
It also asked for 50 additional days of work under VB-G RAM G (with the Centre bearing the full cost), more fertiliser and 1,500 MW of additional power, a Rs 20,000 crore special drought-relief package, an increase in the FRBM borrowing limit from 3% to 3.5% of GSDP for 2026-27, and additional assistance under Central and Centrally Sponsored Schemes with relaxed norms.
“Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Manual for Drought Management, Kharif drought is required to be notified not later than 30th October. Having regard to the resolution adopted by the Legislative Assembly and owing to persistent rainfall deficits recorded during the South West Monsoon 2026, prolonged dry spells in critical crop growth stages and deteriorating soil moisture, the government has carried out a multi-criteria scientific assessment across all mandals,” reads the GO.
The district authorities have been asked to initiate relief measures, including provision of input subsidy through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), augmentation of drinking water supply, fodder arrangements and cattle camps where required, and employment generation under VB-G RAM G.
The district Collectors shall also take up with the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) the restructuring of agricultural credit and non-enforcement of coercive loan recovery, as permissible under the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India, the GO said.
The Agriculture & Cooperation Department shall ensure that the agricultural input subsidy is disbursed to the affected farmers through DBT within one month from the date of receipt of Central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). The lists of beneficiaries shall be published on the websites of the respective District Collectors and the State Government.
The Planning Department shall prepare and furnish the Memorandum to the Revenue (DM) Department, for onward submission to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare / Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, seeking Central assistance from the NDRF, within seven days.
Source: IANS
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