India Declares 21 Districts Drought-Affected Amid Declining Rainfall and Worsening El Niño Conditions

The Andhra Pradesh state government in India has declared 388 mandals across 21 districts as drought-affected areas due to a significant decline in rainfall during the 2026 Kharif agricultural season.

Of the 388 affected mandals, 283 have been classified as Severe Drought areas, while 105 have been classified as Moderate Drought areas. These mandals are among the state’s total 688 mandals.

According to the government order, Andhra Pradesh received an average of only 197.6 millimetres of rainfall between June and August 2026, which was 53.4 percent below the normal rainfall of 424.3 millimetres. In addition to the rainfall deficit, the Indian government said drought conditions had been further aggravated by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

The drought assessment took into consideration several factors, including rainfall deficiency, the length of dry spells, the condition of cultivated areas, soil moisture, water storage levels in reservoirs, groundwater conditions, and ground-level conditions.

Normally, the declaration of drought-affected areas for the Kharif season can be delayed until October 31. However, as drought conditions have become increasingly severe this year, the High-Level Committee on Drought, at a meeting held on September 30, recommended an early declaration. The state government subsequently issued the official order on October 1.

The drought-affected districts include Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasam, Markapuram, Kurnool, Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Sri Satya Sai, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya, and Chittoor.

The Rayalaseema region has been particularly severely affected. Of the 388 drought-affected mandals, 186 are located in Rayalaseema. Moreover, 159 of the 283 mandals classified as being under severe drought are also located in the region.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that the Godavari and Cauvery river systems should be linked and utilised to address drought conditions in the long term. He said that if at least 200 TMC of water flowing into the sea from the Godavari during periods of high-water flow could be utilised, it could support agriculture and increase greenery in the Rayalaseema region.

Meanwhile, the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) criticised the government, claiming that it had known about the drought conditions earlier but delayed the declaration. The party also questioned why Nellore district had not been included in the list of drought-affected areas.

The government said the early declaration was intended to enable affected farmers to access agricultural loans and allow relief and support measures to be implemented more quickly.

Source: The Indian express