Telangana Records 17% Rain Deficit but Fares Better Than Other States

Telangana recorded a 17% rainfall deficit as of August 21, maintaining a better monsoon performance than several major foodgrain-producing states across the country, according to a report by SBI Research.

The 17% deficit placed Telangana within the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) normal rainfall classification, which covers departures of up to 19% below normal levels. However, because the state sits close to the threshold for the deficient category, rainfall received during the remaining weeks of the monsoon season will be critical for overall water availability and the upcoming rabi crop season.

In comparison, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh reported a significantly higher rainfall deficit of 39%. Other major agricultural states also experienced steeper shortfalls, with Bihar recording a 41% deficit, Punjab registering 32%, Karnataka at 22%, and Rajasthan at 20%.

Across India, monsoon rainfall stood at 13% below normal, with 351 out of 741 districts falling into either the deficient or largely deficient categories. Higher deficits were also recorded in Kerala at 24% and Assam at 23%.

Some states fared comparatively better, including Maharashtra with a 7% deficit, Madhya Pradesh with 10%, and Gujarat with a 3% shortfall. Only a few states registered excess precipitation, such as West Bengal with a 5% surplus and Odisha with 2% above normal rainfall.

SBI Research also highlighted a weakening monsoon outlook overall, pointing to a revised forecast by Skymet that lowered the expected seasonal rainfall to 85% of the Long Period Average (LPA), down from an earlier projection of 94%.