Weak monsoon sparks drought fears and disrupts kharif sowing in undivided Warangal

Below-normal rainfall linked to El Niño has disrupted the early phase of the kharif season across the undivided Warangal district, raising fears of drought-like conditions. Districts including Hanamkonda, Warangal, Mahbubabad, Jangaon, Bhupalpally, and Mulugu received significantly less rainfall than normal during the crucial late June to mid-July monsoon period.

The delay and intermittent nature of the monsoon affected seed germination in areas where sowing had already been completed. Farmers in mandals such as Narsampet, Parkal, Wardhannapet, Station Ghanpur, Thorrur, Mahabubabad, Maripeda, Nekkonda, Duggondi, Chennaraopet, and Geesugonda expressed uncertainty over continuing paddy cultivation due to inadequate tank storage and declining groundwater levels. Borewells in several areas yielded insufficient water for irrigation.

In response to forecasts indicating possible drought conditions across Telangana, the state government stepped up measures to optimize available water resources. In Mulugu district, where farmers sought irrigation support, officials began taking steps to increase water pumping through the Devadula Lift Irrigation Scheme.

Agriculture department officials advised farmers to shift to low water-intensive crops such as cotton, red gram, green gram, sorghum, and maize. They urged growers to base their cropping decisions on local water availability rather than rainfall expectations.

Drinking water availability also emerged as a concern in rural areas, where several villages began depending on water tankers as local borewells dried up. While supply under the Mission Bhagiratha scheme continued, villages reliant on groundwater reported shortages.

However, within the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation limits, officials stated there was no immediate concern over drinking water supply. GWMC superintending engineer Raj Kumar confirmed that the Dharmasagar Reservoir had sufficient storage to meet the needs of Warangal, Hanamkonda, Kazipet, and surrounding areas for the next 135 days.

Farmers and agricultural experts noted that the kharif season could still recover if weather conditions improved over the next two to three weeks, but warned that further delays would reduce the cultivated area and intensify drinking water shortages.