Telangana rainfall deficit hits 79% as El Niño disrupts monsoon

Telangana faces a deepening rainfall crisis as the strongest El Niño since 1997 disrupts monsoon patterns, though a developing low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal may provide temporary relief. The rainfall deficit has accelerated sharply over the last two months. In August, the state recorded a 38% shortfall. By September, this gap widened to 79%, according to Y.V. Rama Rao, senior weather consultant at the Telangana Development Planning Society. The current weather system in the Bay of Bengal is expected to trigger a surge in monsoon activity across the region. While this could mitigate the immediate shortage, the overarching influence of El Niño continues to strain agricultural planning and water resource management across the state.