Preparing for a potential super El Nino in 2026, the Indian government has identified 111 districts highly vulnerable to crop damage due to low irrigation and high risks of rain shortages. This looming weather pattern threatens to cut agricultural output and drive up inflation.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that weak monsoon conditions were likely to persist until July 2 and cautioned that kharif crops could be impacted. He took a review of crop sowing progress and rainfall in different parts with officials from the agriculture ministry, ICAR, Rural Development Ministry and India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Around 315 districts have been identified as potentially affected by weak monsoon conditions. Out of these, there are 111 districts (including 22 in Maharashtra and 10 in Chhattisgarh) which are classified as ‘most’ vulnerable as they have an irrigation coverage of less than 25 per cent of their cultivable land, the Ministry said in a statement.
