Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on November 15 to seek financial assistance from the Centre for drought-like conditions across the state, according to an official statement released on Friday, November 13. Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy will accompany the Chief Minister.

Source: Telangana government statement via Hyderabad Mail

The state delegation is expected to brief the Prime Minister on how the rainfall deficit, which the government attributes to the El Nino weather phenomenon, has affected agriculture, farmers and rural livelihoods, and to seek the Centre's cooperation on drought-mitigation measures and timely relief for affected communities.

365 mandals declared drought-affected

On October 27, the Telangana government declared 365 mandals across 31 of the state's 33 districts drought-affected for the 2026 kharif season. Of these, 111 mandals were classified as severely affected and 254 as moderately affected, and district authorities were instructed to begin relief measures.

365mandals declared drought-affected
31 of 33districts covered by the declaration
17%rainfall deficit, June 1 to September 30
Rs 20,000 crorerelief package sought by the Assembly

Telangana recorded 615.5 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30 against a normal of 740.6 mm, a deficit of 17 per cent, with 18 districts reporting deficient rainfall, according to the government's assessment. The kharif sown area fell from 139.28 lakh acres to 126.06 lakh acres, while the area under paddy declined from 69.19 lakh acres to 57 lakh acres.

Assembly sought a Rs 20,000 crore package

The state Assembly had earlier, on September 18, passed a resolution seeking a special assistance package of Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre, along with a central team to assess the situation and assistance through the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the Centre's share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), covering crop losses, input subsidies, drinking water, fodder and livestock protection. The government has also approached bankers for restructuring and rescheduling of crop loans, and an all-party meeting in October discussed alternative cropping plans.

What happens next

The November 15 meeting is the state's formal opportunity to place its rainfall data and relief demand before the Prime Minister. The quantum of central assistance, if any, will be known only after the meeting.