Overview
- Karnataka held emergency Cabinet and multi‑hour review meetings on Sunday to prepare for a looming drought, directing that reservoir releases be reserved for drinking water and ordering district teams to compile a drought memorandum for the Centre within 15 days.
- The state has earmarked funds and tightened accountability by allocating Rs 1 crore per rural taluk for drinking‑water works, freeing Rs 329 crore in local PD accounts for immediate use, and mandating GPS and video documentation for every newly drilled borewell to stop bogus claims.
- Telangana’s opposition BRS staged padayatras and accused the Congress government of creating an 'artificial drought' by not operating Kaleshwaram and Kannepalli lift pumps, while the state rejects that charge and says technical safety checks and El Niño‑driven shortfalls justify restricted operation.
- Telangana officials have ordered mission‑mode contingency work to protect drinking water and livelihoods by promoting drought‑tolerant crops, securing fodder, preparing tankers and Mission Bhagiratha systems, and seeking Centre support and national‑project status for major irrigation schemes.
- Both states point to El Niño as the primary driver of a roughly 60–68% rainfall shortfall that has drained reservoirs and groundwater, raising risks of crop loss, livestock stress and rural migration and making central assessment and coordinated relief the next likely steps.