El Niño effect: Andhra declares 388 mandals drought-hit; 283 face severe conditions

The Andhra Pradesh government has declared drought in 388 of the state’s 688 mandals across 21 districts for the 2026 kharif season. The government has declared 283 mandals as severely drought-affected and 105 as moderately affected.The Revenue (Disaster Management) Department issued a government order on October 1, following recommendations by the State Drought Committee, which met on September 30 to assess drought conditions. The government opted for an early declaration instead of waiting until the October 31 deadline, citing a significant rainfall deficit and prevailing El Niño conditions.Andhra Pradesh recorded an average rainfall of 197.6 mm between June 1 and August 31, against the normal of 424.3 mm, marking a deficit of 53.4%, according to the government order. The assessment was conducted in accordance with the Government of India's Manual for Drought Management, 2016.The drought declaration covers Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasam, Markapuram, Kurnool, Nandyal, Ananthapuramu, Sri Sathya Sai, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya and Chittoor districts.The assessment involved examining rainfall patterns and dry spells, followed by an evaluation of their impact on agriculture and water availability. The government considered indicators such as sown area, vegetation conditions assessed through remote sensing, soil moisture, reservoir storage and groundwater levels. Ground-level verification was also carried out.The data was sourced from various state departments and agencies, including the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, the Agriculture and Horticulture departments, the Andhra Pradesh Space Applications Centre, the Irrigation Department, the Ground Water Audit Department and Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University.District collectors have been directed to publish notifications in English and Telugu in their respective district gazettes, specifying the mandals declared drought-affected.Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) criticised the government for excluding Nellore district from the declaration, claiming that several mandals there had received below-normal rainfall.Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, meanwhile, said interlinking the Godavari and Cauvery river systems could help southern states tackle drought. Speaking at the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 — Amarajeevi Jaladhara programmes in Proddatur in YSR Kadapa district earlier this, he said significant quantities of river water were flowing into the sea unused."While drought conditions prevail, 2,000 TMC of river water is flowing into the sea. If at least 200 TMC of Godavari floodwater is utilised, the Rayalaseema region will flourish with abundant greenery and crops," he had said.Former Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu and YSRCP State General Secretary Gadikota Srikanth Reddy alleged that the government had delayed declaring drought despite severe conditions prevailing since the first week of September.Kannababu said the Rayalaseema region was among the worst affected by the rainfall deficit. Of the 388 mandals declared drought-affected, 186 are in Rayalaseema. The region also accounts for 159 of the 283 mandals classified as severely drought-affected, he said.