Overview
- The Revenue Disaster Management Department issued the drought notification on October 27, listing 365 mandals across 31 districts after a multi-criteria assessment.
- The order classifies 111 mandals as severely affected and 254 as moderately affected and will remain in force for six months unless withdrawn.
- State data show a 17% southwest monsoon shortfall, cropped area down from 139.28 to 126.06 lakh acres, paddy area down about 18%, and live reservoir storage at 179.63 TMC against a 585 TMC capacity.
- District collectors were directed to start relief measures such as DBT input subsidies, drinking-water augmentation, fodder and cattle camps, and loan restructuring, but the agriculture subsidy is to be paid only after the Centre releases NDRF funds and the state prepares a memorandum seeking that aid.
- Political leaders have demanded immediate state-funded payouts, larger per-acre compensation and publication of the mandal-level data; disputes over excluded mandals and water-management choices raise the risk of protests and sustained pressure on the government to fund relief directly.