Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on November 15 to seek financial assistance and central support for drought-like conditions affecting the state, according to an official release.
The state leaders will brief the Prime Minister on the rainfall deficit attributed by the government to El Nino and its impact on agriculture, farmers and rural livelihoods. The Chief Minister is expected to seek adequate financial assistance to mitigate hardship in drought-affected areas and provide timely relief to farmers and rural communities.
The Telangana government declared 365 mandals across 31 of the state’s 33 districts drought-affected on October 27. District authorities were directed to begin relief measures immediately. Of the affected mandals, 111 were classified as facing severe drought, while 254 were categorised as moderately drought-affected for 2026.
The state recorded cumulative rainfall of 615.5 mm between June 1 and September 30, against a normal rainfall level of 740.6 mm, according to government figures cited in the release. This represented a deficit of 17 per cent across Telangana. Eighteen of the state’s 33 districts recorded deficient rainfall during the period.
The rainfall shortfall has also affected the area under kharif cultivation. The government said the kharif crop area declined from 139.28 lakh acres to 126.06 lakh acres. The reduction points to the immediate pressure on farm activity and rural incomes, although the supplied material does not provide a district-wise assessment of crop losses or the number of affected households.
The state government said it wanted the Centre’s cooperation and financial support to strengthen drought-mitigation efforts and ensure assistance reaches farmers and rural communities in time. The planned meeting follows a resolution passed by the Telangana Assembly on September 18, which urged the Centre to provide a Rs 20,000 crore package, among other measures, to address the impact of the rainfall deficit attributed to El Nino.
The November 15 meeting is expected to provide the next formal platform for Telangana to present its assistance request and rainfall data to the Union government. The official release did not specify the amount of financial support the Chief Minister will seek during the meeting beyond the Assembly’s earlier demand for a Rs 20,000 crore package.
