The skies over Andhra Pradesh have stayed worryingly dry this Kharif season, leaving thousandsof farmers watching their fields wither in silence. With a 31.3% rainfall deficit from June 1 toJuly 15, the state has received just 103.9 mm of rain—far below the seasonal average. For many,this is more than a failed monsoon—it’s a deepening crisis.
In 13 out of 26 districts, the situation is dire. Annamayya district, the worst hit, has seen ashocking 66% shortfall, and regions like Chittoor, YSR Kadapa, Sri Sathya Sai, and Tirupati arenot far behind. With over half the cultivated land now under red alert, farmers are battlingcracked soil, dying crops, and growing uncertainty.
Fields that once bloomed with cotton, groundnut, and pulses now lie dry. Even paddy, usuallysafe under canal irrigation, is turning yellow from lack of water. In Annamayya alone, groundnutand tomato cultivation has dropped by nearly 40%, slashing incomes and hopes.
For many farmers, this year’s struggle comes on top of last year’s disappointment with poorMSPs. In places like Rayalaseema, where irrigation is a luxury, families are being pushed to thebrink. Water scarcity in Anantapur, Kurnool, and Nandyal has made things worse, leavingfarmers with little to sow and even less to survive on.
As the rain continues to stay away, the crisis grows deeper—not just in the soil, but in the livesof those who depend on it.
