Telangana Kharif Season Faces Crisis as Monsoon Deficit Hits 63% of Mandals
By jayesh chouhan 2026-07-13 14:53:07
Crisis Looms Over Telangana's Kharif Season Due to Deficient Monsoon; 63% of Mandals Affected
Hyderabad: A weak monsoon this year has cast a shadow of uncertainty over Telangana's Kharif season. Despite sowing and transplantation covering a larger area by the end of the first week of July compared to last year, farmers are increasingly concerned due to a severe rainfall deficit across most parts of the state. Agricultural experts believe that a lack of adequate and consistent rainfall in the coming days could severely impact crop growth, yields, and farmers' incomes.
Out of the 605 mandals across the state's 32 rural districts, 382 (approximately 63 percent) have been affected by the monsoon's failure. The Meteorological Department has forecast below-normal rainfall for the remainder of July, further deepening the crisis facing Kharif crop prospects. Persistent rainfall deficiency has resulted in insufficient water inflow into major, medium, and minor irrigation reservoirs located in catchment areas, thereby disrupting irrigation systems.
According to data from the Agriculture Department, the total area under Kharif cultivation has reached 55.32 lakh acres so far this year, compared to 52.04 lakh acres during the same period last year. A breakdown by crop reveals that cotton accounts for the largest share, with sowing completed on 39.44 lakh acres. Additionally, paddy transplantation has covered 4.22 lakh acres, while soybean, red gram (arhar), and maize have been cultivated on 3.35 lakh acres, 3.19 lakh acres, and 2.84 lakh acres, respectively; green gram (moong) and black gram (urad) have been cultivated on approximately 46,000 acres.
Data from the Telangana Development Planning Society indicates that 68 mandals recorded rainfall deficits ranging from 60 to 99 percent below normal, while 327 mandals saw deficits between 20 and 59 percent. Rainfall was recorded in the 'normal' category in only 181 mandals; however, even within these areas, most received up to 19 percent less rainfall than normal. On the other hand, above-normal or excess rainfall was recorded in only 45 mandals. Of these, 11 mandals are located across the districts of Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Nagarkurnool, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Suryapet, and Bhadradri-Kothagudem.
Statewide, average rainfall has been 25 percent below normal. The highest deficit was recorded in Hanumakonda district, while 25 districts—including Hyderabad—received less-than-normal rainfall. Nevertheless, groundwater levels remain stable due to good rainfall last year. The average groundwater level in June 2025 stood at 9.46 meters, nearly identical to the 9.47 meters recorded in June of the previous year.
In anticipation of a potential crisis, the Agriculture Department has prepared a contingency plan. Officials state that if adequate rainfall does not occur by the end of the second week of July, farmers will be provided with seeds for alternative crops. Additionally, agricultural scientists are advising farmers to adopt low-water-consuming crops and weather-based farming practices to minimize potential losses.
