Rainfall Deficit Grips 74% of Telangana Mandals as Reservoir Levels Plummet

Widespread Rainfall Scarcity Across Telangana Districts

Data recorded through July 26, 2026, reveals that 457 out of Telangana's 621 mandals are currently facing a drought-like scenario. This represents nearly 74% of the state’s administrative units. The crisis stems from a significant monsoon failure, with 399 mandals reporting a rainfall deficiency between 20% and 59%. An additional 58 mandals are grappling with a massive shortfall ranging from 60% to 99%. In Hyderabad specifically, 13 mandals are classified as deficient while two fall into the large deficient category. The remaining 442 impacted mandals are distributed across 32 rural districts, directly threatening agricultural stability.

Stagnant Water Levels in Major River Basins

The impact of El Nino extends beyond state borders, suffocating catchments for the Krishna and Godavari rivers in Maharashtra and Karnataka. In the Godavari basin, the situation is acute; no major or medium irrigation project in Telangana has garnered even 5 tmc ft of flood inflow during the first two months of the season. While the Pranahita tributary provides some volume, it joins the Godavari at the Kaleshwaram confluence, bypassing early-stage reservoirs.

The Krishna basin mirrors this distress. Excluding the Nagarjunasagar project, which secured 20 tmc ft primarily from local runoff, other projects have failed to reach the 5 tmc ft mark. However, recent developments in upstream Karnataka offer a glimmer of relief. Data from Irrigation department officials indicates:

• Almatti Reservoir: Received approximately 120 tmc ft of floodwater.
• Narayanpur Dam: Recorded nearly 30 tmc ft of inflow.
• Jurala Project: Started receiving floodwaters in the early hours of July 26, serving as the primary Krishna gateway for the region.

Energy Crisis and Halted Hydel Operations

The environmental strain has transitioned into a grid stability issue. Energy consumption in Telangana surged to 6,699 million units during the first 25 days of July. Despite this demand, hydroelectric generation remains paralyzed due to depleted storage at the Srisailam and Jurala reservoirs. Comparing current data to previous years highlights the severity of the decline:

• In June of the prior year, Jurala and Srisailam received 119 tmc ft and 127 tmc ft of floodwater respectively.
• Hydel generation at Srisailam, which reached 544 MU in July of the 2025-26 cycle, has plummeted to a negligible 0.09 MU through July 25, 2026.
• Jurala has recorded zero generation for the current July period so far.

Officials from TG-Genco indicate that while Narayanpur’s discharge might facilitate power production at Jurala by the end of the month, the outlook for Srisailam remains bleak without sustained, heavy inflows.

Source: The Hindu — Home