Andhra Declares Early Drought in 21 Districts as YSRCP Questions Delay
The Andhra Pradesh government has declared an early drought across 21 districts for the 2026 Kharif season, covering 388 of the state’s 688 mandals. The move has drawn criticism from the Opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which has questioned why the declaration was made only after drought conditions had reportedly worsened for weeks.
According to a government order issued on October 1, 283 mandals have been classified as “severely affected” and another 105 as “moderately affected”. The declaration was based on drought indicators and rainfall data for the June-August period.
The YSRCP has alleged that the government should have acted earlier, claiming that drought conditions had become serious “from the first week of September itself”.
Rayalaseema Bears the Brunt
YSRCP leaders said the Rayalaseema region has been particularly affected by the rainfall deficit. Former Agriculture Minister Kurasala Kannababu and party state general secretary Gadikota Srikanth Reddy said 186 of the 388 drought-declared mandals are located in Rayalaseema.
Of the 283 mandals classified as severely affected, 159 are also in the region, according to the party.
The YSRCP further claimed that nearly seven lakh borewells had dried up by August. It said mango and citrus orchards were under stress and farmers were increasingly dependent on water tankers to protect their plantations.
The Opposition also questioned the exclusion of Nellore from the drought-hit list, alleging that several mandals in the district had received inadequate rainfall.
Government Cites Severe Rainfall Deficit
The Revenue (Disaster Management) Department’s order said Andhra Pradesh recorded a 53.4% rainfall deficit between June and August 2026.
The state received an average of 197.6 mm of rainfall during the period against the normal 424.3 mm, the order said. It also cited prevailing El Niño conditions while recommending an early drought declaration.
“Due to a 53.4% rainfall deficit recorded during the months of June-August, 2026, and the prevailing El Niño conditions,” the order said, drought indicators based on available data were taken into account for an early declaration.
The decision was taken under the Government of India’s Manual for Drought Management, 2016.
Committee Recommended Early Declaration
A high-level committee meeting on September 30 recommended declaring drought in 21 districts ahead of the October 31 deadline normally associated with the 2026 Kharif drought assessment.
The districts included in the declaration are 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.
Naidu Pushes River-Linking Solution
Amid the drought concerns, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has called for greater use of river waters to address recurring water shortages in southern Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 – Amarajeevi Jaladhara’ programmes in Proddatur, Naidu said large quantities of river water continue to flow into the sea even as parts of the state face drought.
“While drought conditions prevail, 2,000 TMC of river water is flowing into the sea,” Naidu said, arguing that using even 200 TMC of Godavari floodwater could transform the Rayalaseema region.
The Chief Minister has also advocated interlinking the Godavari and Cauvery river systems, saying such a network could help make southern states less vulnerable to drought.
The government’s early declaration now sets the stage for drought-relief measures across the affected mandals, while the Opposition continues to question the timing of the decision and the districts included in the list.
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