Andhra Pradesh and Telangana declare drought in 2026 season
Telangana has identified 365 mandals as drought-affected, while Andhra Pradesh has notified 24 mandals across eight districts.
The Andhra Pradesh government has declared 24 mandals in eight districts as drought-affected during the 2026 kharif season, according to the Deccan Chronicle. Revenue (disaster management) special chief secretary G. Sai Prasad issued the notification on Saturday.
In Andhra Pradesh, 12 mandals are classified as severely affected and 12 as moderately affected. The severely affected areas include Racherla in Markapuram district, six mandals in Kurnool district, two in Anantapur district, and three in Sri Sathya Sai district.
The moderately affected mandals include Jaggampeta in Kakinada, seven in Eluru, Machilipatnam South in Krishna, and three in YSR Kadapa. The notification was issued via GO Ms No. 5.
In Telangana, the state government has declared 365 mandals across 31 districts drought-affected for the Vanakalam 2026 season, as reported by Telangana Today. This declaration will be in effect for six months.
Of the 365 mandals in Telangana, 111 are severely drought-affected and 254 are moderately drought-affected. The state attributed the situation to adverse Southwest Monsoon conditions, including El Niño and weak low-pressure systems.
Telangana recorded 615.5 mm of cumulative rainfall between June 1 and September 30, which is a 17 per cent deficit against the normal 740.6 mm.