Telangana declares 365 mandals in 31 districts drought-hit

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has officially declared 365 mandals across 31 districts drought-hit for the Kharif season due to low rainfall recorded during the southwest monsoon this year under the influence of the El Niño effect. Only Hyderabad and Peddapalli are not included in the list of the state's 33 districts.

The government has classified 111 mandals as severely drought-hit and 254 mandals as moderately affected based on rainfall deficiency, crop damage, soil moisture conditions and other parameters.

According to the government order (GO), Nalgonda and Sangareddy districts have the highest number of drought-affected mandals, with 28 each, followed by Suryapet with 23. Adilabad and Vikarabad districts have 20 drought-affected mandals each.

Medak district has the lowest number of drought-affected mandals, with just one, followed by Rajanna Sircilla with two. Jagtial, Karimnagar and Mulugu districts have three drought-affected mandals each.

The government said that although Telangana received above-normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon, its uneven distribution and prolonged dry spells adversely affected agricultural activities in several parts of the state.

The government order noted that the state received 1,065.9 mm of rainfall against the normal 901.6 mm, recording an excess of 18 per cent. However, prolonged dry spells and uneven rainfall distribution affected crops, particularly during critical growth stages.

A Cabinet sub-committee, formed on the directions of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, recommended declaring 365 mandals across 31 districts drought-affected after assessing the situation in the state.

In an order issued by Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, district collectors were directed to publish the drought notification in their respective district gazettes. The order also instructed officials to prepare detailed reports on the extent of crop damage and submit proposals for drought relief measures.

The district collectors were instructed to coordinate with the State-Level Bankers' Committee to facilitate the restructuring of agricultural credit and halt coercive loan recoveries in accordance with Reserve Bank of India guidelines.

The Chief Secretary also directed the revenue department to coordinate with the agriculture department and other concerned departments to assess the situation and initiate necessary measures in the affected areas.

Earlier, the Telangana government urged the Central government to provide a special drought-relief package of Rs 20,000 crore, extend assistance under various centrally sponsored schemes with relaxed norms, and increase the FRBM borrowing limit from 3 per cent to 3.5 per cent of GSDP for 2026-27.

The state government also sought NDRF assistance and the release of its share of SDRF funds to provide crop-loss compensation, input subsidies, drinking water and fodder.