Drought Crisis in Andhra Pradesh: 388 Mandals Across 21 Districts Affected
The Andhra Pradesh government has declared 388 mandals across 21 districts of the state as drought-affected for the Kharif 2026 season. Rainfall in the state during the June-August period was 53.4% below normal. Among the affected mandals, 283 have been categorized as severely drought-affected, while 105 fall under the moderately drought-affected category.
The state comprises a total of 688 mandals across 28 districts. Of these, 388 mandals—representing approximately 56.4% of the total—have been declared drought-affected. This decision was reached following an assessment of rainfall deficiency and various drought-related indicators.
G. Sai Prasad, Special Chief Secretary (FAC) of the Revenue (Disaster Management) Department, issued the official order (G.O. Ms. No. 4) declaring the drought on October 1, 2026. The decision followed a review of proposals received from District Collectors and recommendations made by the State Drought Committee. The committee met on September 30 to evaluate the proposals in accordance with the guidelines laid down in the Government of India's *Drought Management Manual, 2016*.
53.4% Rainfall Deficiency
According to government data, Andhra Pradesh recorded an average rainfall of 197.6 mm between June 1 and August 31, 2026, against a normal rainfall of 424.3 mm for the period. This represents a rainfall deficit of approximately 53.4%. Taking into account the rainfall situation and other drought-related indicators, the government declared the drought ahead of the usual schedule.
Drought Assessment Conducted in Three Phases
The drought assessment was carried out in three phases. The first phase involved examining mandatory indicators such as rainfall deficiency and the duration of dry spells. In the second phase, impact indicators such as sown area, crop condition, soil moisture, water storage in reservoirs, and groundwater levels were analyzed. In the third phase, the situation was verified at the ground level.
Data obtained from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture, the Andhra Pradesh Space Applications Centre (APSAC), the Irrigation Department, the Groundwater Audit Department, and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) were utilized in this process.
The government has directed District Collectors to publish the list of affected mandals and relevant details in the district gazettes in both English and Telugu.
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