A monsoon shortfall in Telangana is causing a statewide farm crisis, with a roughly 23 percent rainfall deficit recorded across 19 of 33 districts and deeper shortfalls above 30 percent in 15 of them. Between June 1 and September 9, the state received about 485.9 mm of rain compared to a normal 629.4 mm. A 73 percent weekly deficit last week left late-season paddy and cotton without essential finishing rain, leading to severe crop damage, abandoned harvests, drying cotton, and heavy yield losses.
Statewide sowing covers about 123 lakh acres, but paddy acreage has dropped significantly while cotton remains slightly above normal. Combined reservoir storage for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has fallen from 886 tmcft to 507 tmcft. With the southwest monsoon forecast to begin withdrawing around September 18 and only isolated thunderstorms likely in the next fortnight, irrigation buffers are tight and catch-up rain is limited.
Farm groups are demanding that deficit mandals be declared drought-hit, along with financial compensation, clearing of disaster dues, and the rescheduling of crop loans. While a Cabinet sub-committee and the Farmers Welfare Commission have proposed various measures, the state Assembly was scheduled on Wednesday to debate the impacts of El Niño and remedial steps.