Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to chair drought meet on Oct 12 amid El Niño crisis
Synopsis
With 320 mandals across 18 districts under severe drought stress and 17% below-normal rainfall due to El Niño, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy is calling an emergency ministerial meet on October 12 — even as the state presses the Centre for a ₹20,000 crore special package and a formal drought declaration.
Key Takeaways
Revanth Reddy will chair a special drought review meeting on 12 October with state ministers.
The state has recorded 17% below-normal rainfall , with around 235 mandals experiencing drought conditions and preliminary assessments flagging 320 mandals in 18 districts as severely affected.
Telangana has formally requested a special relief package of ₹20,000 crore from the Centre, along with a drought zone declaration.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive drought report — using 12 standard parameters — by the end of October .
Data from Planning, Revenue, Agriculture, Panchayat Raj , and other departments will feed into formal drought mandal declarations.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will convene a special cabinet meeting on 12 October to assess the fallout of El Niño-driven drought conditions gripping the state, according to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The meeting will deliberate on immediate relief measures for farmers, drinking water supply, irrigation deficits, and a spike in electricity demand across drought-hit regions.
Scale of the Crisis
Preliminary assessments indicate severe drought conditions across 320 mandals in 18 districts, according to officials who spoke on 6 October. Telangana has a total of 621 mandals spread across 33 districts, meaning roughly half the state's administrative units are facing acute stress. The state has recorded 17% less rainfall than normal this season, with around 235 mandals already experiencing drought conditions. This comes amid a broader El Niño cycle that has disrupted monsoon patterns across peninsular India.
Government's Demand from the Centre
The Telangana government has passed a resolution in the state Assembly and formally appealed to the Centre for a drought declaration and financial relief. The state has requested a special assistance package of ₹20,000 crore. Notably, the recent state cabinet had already held a lengthy discussion on the deteriorating rainfall situation, signalling the administration's urgency before the formal October 12 review.
What the October 12 Meeting Will Cover
According to the CMO, the agenda for the ministerial meeting includes a review of activities prepared by the ministerial sub-committee, an assessment of proposed all-party consultations, and inputs from farmers' associations and sectoral experts. Relief measures for rain-affected areas and the status of agriculture, irrigation, and rural water supply will also be on the table.
Bureaucratic Groundwork Already Under Way
Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju has directed officials to compile a comprehensive drought report by the end of October. The report will draw on data from the Planning, Revenue, Groundwater, Agriculture, Panchayat Raj, and Rural Water Supply departments. Officials have been instructed to evaluate 12 standard parameters — including Southwest Monsoon rainfall from June to September — before formally declaring drought-affected mandals under prescribed government norms.
With both the bureaucratic assessment and ministerial review now running on parallel tracks, the coming weeks will be critical in determining the scale and speed of Telangana's drought relief response.
Point of View
000 crore demand from the Centre places the Congress-led administration in Hyderabad on a collision course with New Delhi at a time when Centre-state fiscal relations are already fraught. The 17% rainfall shortfall is significant, but the real accountability question is whether the state's bureaucratic machinery — still compiling its baseline report — can move fast enough to deliver relief before the next sowing cycle is jeopardised. Calling an all-party meeting is a signal that Revanth Reddy wants political cover; whether that translates into farmer-level support remains to be seen.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Telangana CM Revanth Reddy holding a special meeting on October 12?
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has called the meeting to review the impact of El Niño-driven drought conditions across the state, assess immediate relief needs, and coordinate action across departments including agriculture, irrigation, and rural water supply. Around 320 mandals in 18 districts have been flagged as severely drought-affected.
How severe is the drought situation in Telangana?
Telangana has recorded 17% below-normal rainfall this monsoon season. Preliminary assessments indicate severe drought conditions across 320 mandals in 18 districts, while around 235 mandals have already experienced drought conditions. Telangana has 621 mandals in total across 33 districts.
What financial relief has Telangana requested from the Centre?
The Telangana government has passed a resolution in the state Assembly requesting a special financial package of ₹20,000 crore from the Centre, along with a formal declaration of drought zones.
What is the role of Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju in the drought response?
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive drought report by the end of October, using 12 standard parameters including Southwest Monsoon rainfall data. The report will inform formal drought mandal declarations under prescribed government norms.
Which departments are involved in preparing Telangana's drought report?
The comprehensive report will draw data from the Planning, Revenue, Groundwater, Agriculture, Panchayat Raj, and Rural Water Supply departments. Officials have been asked to identify drought-affected mandals based on established norms and submit findings by October-end.
