The Telangana government has declared 365 mandals across 31 districts as drought-affected for Kharif 2026, following a significant rainfall deficit during the South West Monsoon worsened by El Niño conditions. The Revenue Disaster Management Department issued the official government order on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, in compliance with the statutory deadline requiring Kharif drought notification by 30 October under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Severity Classification

Of the 365 drought-affected mandals, 111 have been classified as severe drought mandals and 254 as moderate drought mandals. The declaration follows a recommendation by the Cabinet Sub-Committee on El Niño Impact and Drought Conditions, made during a review meeting on 23 October 2026. District authorities, secretariat departments, heads of departments, and all district Collectors were earlier asked to submit detailed proposals in line with parameters under the National Manual for Drought Management 2016.

Scale of the Rainfall Deficit

According to the government order, the South West Monsoon 2026 was severely hit by emerging El Niño conditions, weak Bay of Bengal low-pressure systems, and prolonged dry spells. The state received a cumulative rainfall of 615.5 mm against a normal of 740.6 mm — a deficit of -17% between 1 June and 30 September 2026. As many as 18 of 33 districts recorded deficit rainfall.

The agricultural impact has been stark. Kharif crop area shrank from 139.28 lakh acres to 126.06 lakh acres. Paddy cultivation contracted by 18%, falling from 69.19 lakh acres to 57 lakh acres. Current live storage in major and medium reservoirs stands at just 179.63 TMC against a total capacity of 585 TMC, raising serious concerns over drinking water supply, agriculture, livestock, and power generation.

What the State Has Sought from the Centre

The Telangana State Legislative Assembly had on 18 September unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central government to deploy a central assessment team, sanction National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) assistance, and release its share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The resolution also demanded crop loss and input subsidies, drinking water and fodder support, and groundwater and water-body restoration aid.

Additionally, the assembly called for 50 extra workdays under the rural employment guarantee scheme with the Centre bearing full cost, more fertiliser, 1,500 MW of additional power, a ₹20,000 crore special drought-relief package, and an increase in the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) borrowing limit from 3% to 3.5% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2026-27.

Relief Measures Ordered

District authorities have been directed to roll out immediate relief measures. These include the disbursement of agricultural input subsidies via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), augmentation of drinking water supply, fodder arrangements, establishment of cattle camps where required, and employment generation under the rural employment scheme.

District Collectors have also been asked to engage with the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) to restructure agricultural credit and suspend coercive loan recovery, in line with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. The Agriculture and Cooperation Department is required to disburse input subsidies within one month of receiving Central assistance, with beneficiary lists published on district and state government websites. The Planning Department has been given seven days to prepare and submit a memorandum seeking NDRF assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Outlook

With reservoir levels critically low and crop damage already confirmed across a wide swath of Telangana, the pace at which Central assistance arrives — and the state's ability to execute DBT-linked relief at scale — will determine how deeply this drought season affects farm incomes and rural livelihoods heading into the Rabi 2026-27 sowing season.