Crippling 52% rainfall deficit during southwest monsoon impacts kharif operations in Andhra Pradesh

Agriculture workers carrying drinking water from a distant borewell walk through the dried-up Ongole Branch Canal in Cheemakurthi mandal of Prakasam district on Sunday. With tanks and borewells drying up amid the El Niño effect, people and livestock in the erstwhile Prakasam and Markapuram districts are facing water shortage. | Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS Painting a grim picture of the current southwest monsoon season, the State has recorded an alarming cumulative rainfall shortage of 52.28% since June 1, as per the data collated from the Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Information & Management System (APWRIMS).Against a normal seasonal average of 409.1 mm, the State has received 195.21 mm of precipitation, pushing vast swathes of the agrarian economy towards severe distress.The crisis is widespread across both the major regions. Coastal Andhra Pradesh is grappling with a deficit of 48.49%, while Rayalaseema lags at 51.68% below normal.North coastal and southern interior districts bear the brunt of the dry spell. Districts such as Visakhapatnam (-57.12%), East Godavari (-57.49%), and Prakasam (-68.66%) have recorded massive shortfalls. The situation is most acute in Annamayya district, which has plunged into the scanty category with a staggering 75.88% deficit.This acute deficiency has severely impacted kharif operations, leaving fields parched and vital minor irrigation tanks and reservoirs depleted.Low moisture contentThe APWRIMS metrics indicate that soil moisture content across the major agricultural belts remains critically low, delaying sowing operations and stunting crop growth for farmers who depend heavily on timely monsoon showers.Meteorological experts attribute the deepening crisis primarily to persistent macro-climatic factors, notably the influence of weak monsoon circulation patterns linked to El Niño.“Furthermore, successive low-pressure systems forming over the Bay of Bengal have tended to concentrate further north towards Odisha and West Bengal, robbing Andhra Pradesh of its usual share of rain-bearing weather tracks.,” says an IMD official.While intermittent thundershowers and coastal winds offer momentary relief, the meteorologist emphasises that the State requires sustained, widespread downpours to offset the massive seasonal deficit. Published - August 30, 2026 07:22 pm IST