365 Mandals in Telangana Declared Drought-Affected Areas

Hyderabad. Due to the impact of the El Niño weather pattern and weak monsoon rainfall, the condition of Kharif crops in Telangana is deteriorating, creating a severe crisis for farmers across most parts of the state. In light of this, the government has declared 365 mandals across 31 districts as drought-affected areas for the Kharif 2026 season.

It is noteworthy that during the southwest monsoon season, Telangana received approximately 17 percent less rainfall than the long-term average. This new government announcement means that nearly 50 percent of the mandals in Telangana now fall under the category of drought-affected areas.

Of these, 111 mandals have been classified as severely drought-affected, while the remaining 254 are categorized as moderately (or generally) drought-affected. Nalgonda district has the highest number of severely drought-affected mandals in the state, with 20. In two other notified districts—Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal—all 13 mandals in each have been classified as severely drought-affected.

Between June 1 and September 30, 2026, Telangana received a total of 615.5 mm of rainfall, compared to the normal average of 740.6 mm. Out of the 33 districts in Telangana, 18 experienced either low or very low rainfall. This is expected to adversely affect the production of paddy, cotton, and other Kharif crops.