With the State registering a 51 per cent rainfall deficit in the monsoon season so far, the Andhra Pradesh Government has announced a plan to mitigate the adverse impact of El Niño.As of August 25, the State reported rainfall of 193 mm against the normal 393.7 mm, resulting in a drop in the area sown in the current kharif season.The total area sown stands at 20.35 lakh hectares against 25.63 lakh hectares last year, a drop of about 21 per cent. Paddy area has fallen from 11.79 lakh hectares to 10.37 lakh hectares, while pulses area has grown from 2.16 to 2.66 lakh hectares. “The overall change in sown area is attributable mainly to a shift in cropping pattern in response to water availability, and not to a general decline in cultivation. Against the target of diverting 1.29 lakh hectares of Paddy to other crops, 36,000 hectares (28%) has been achieved so far,” a Government official said.High impactAndhra Pradesh is among the regions where the impact of El Niño is very high. While national rainfall in the South West Monsoon (June 1 to Aug 25, 2026) was about 13% below normal, the State faced a 51% deficit, nearly four times the national shortfall. All 28 districts were in deficit, with 25 in deficit and 3 in the large-deficit categories.“The State Government had been monitoring the situation from February 2026 after getting enough indications that we are in for El Niño this year,” a government official said.By March, the maiden assessment was submitted to the government and identified 1,357 Rythu Seva Kendrams as high risk and 2,077 RSKs as moderate risk, enabling early, targeted preparedness across the State.Mitigation strategy“Instead of following a uniform approach, the Government is adopting a need-based, location-specific strategy, guided by ground realities,” he said.“Using water wisely where it is available, building resilience where water is limited, protecting allied sectors, and strengthening – were the four key pillars to our mitigation strategy,” he said.This framework is delivered on the ground through the farmer-wise, parcel-wise Rythanna Meekosam campaign, and monitored in real time.Published on August 27, 2026