Rainfall

The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved 16 proposals across 11 departments at its 48th meeting on October 13, 2026. The announced measures include a ₹450 crore youth-skilling programme, free textbooks for students in Classes IX and X, a ₹1,360 crore fertiliser and seed corpus, and a ₹500 crore urban storm-water drainage programme. The next test is implementation and delivery on the ground.

Andhra Pradesh has intensified its disaster management and emergency response operations as Cyclone Arnab approached the state's coastline, prompting authorities to focus on public safety, evacuation arrangements and the protection of essential infrastructure.

The Congress has reportedly urged the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to postpone the upcoming local body elections in view of the approaching Cyclone Arnab, raising concerns over voter safety, election arrangements and the challenges facing people in cyclone-prone areas.

Heavy rainfall and waterlogging across Punjab's grain markets disrupted paddy procurement on October 11, 2026. Parts of Fazilka mandi were flooded, paddy sacks were submerged, and farmers feared harvesting delays of up to a week amid adverse weather warnings.

Maharashtra's decision to declare 265 talukas drought-affected has triggered questions from both ruling alliance leaders and the Opposition. While some areas represented by Mahayuti leaders have been excluded, the MVA has questioned the transparency of the assessment process.

Senior Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister H.K. Patil has set October 10 as the deadline for the state government to declare Gadag district drought-affected. Patil has said he will decide on resigning as MLA if the demand is not accepted, citing rainfall deficiency, crop losses and concerns raised by local representatives and farmers.

Surendra P. Gangan is a journalist covering Maharashtra's political, civic and regional developments. His reporting has included the current water situation and drought-related developments in Marathwada.

YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is scheduled to review drought, water scarcity and deficient rainfall conditions across Andhra Pradesh with senior party leaders on September 17

Telangana is facing a significant rainfall deficit, with farmers in several districts reporting crop stress and losses. The state Assembly is scheduled to discuss the effects of El Niño and possible remedial measures as concerns grow over water availability and agricultural output.

Gujarat’s reservoirs gained 603 million cubic metres of water following rainfall over 48 hours, providing some relief to the state’s water situation. However, overall storage remained below last year’s level, keeping water management and reservoir levels in focus.

The Gujarat government has said a decision on declaring drought in affected areas will be taken only after a detailed survey at the end of the Kharif season. The opposition has demanded immediate action, citing rainfall shortages in several districts and concerns among farmers.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has given a positive assessment of the D.K. Shivakumar-led government after its first 100 days, saying the administration is moving in the right direction. He has also urged the government to continue implementing its election promises and address drought-related concerns across the state.