Maharashtra Faces Prospect of Full Drought as September 2026 Sets Five-Year Record

Maharashtra could be staring at a full-scale drought by the end of September, with a state minister warning that the situation may reach 100% severity. Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil described the ongoing dry spell as the worst he has seen in his lifetime, pointing to extensive damage to soybean, cotton and sugarcane crops caused by a prolonged shortfall in rainfall.

The concern comes amid a broader weakening of the monsoon across several parts of the country, which has translated into a widening drought crisis. September 2026 has emerged as the most drought-affected September in at least the last five years.

A comparison of cumulative rainfall data with drought maps shows a clear overlap: districts recording deficient rainfall are also among those worst affected by drought. Large hotspots have appeared across Maharashtra, parts of central India, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, and pockets of eastern and northeastern India. The pattern suggests the rainfall deficit is now being felt on the ground through declining soil moisture and deteriorating crop conditions.

Many districts have already slipped into moderate, severe or even extreme drought categories. While some regions have received normal or excess rainfall, the monsoon's benefits have been unevenly distributed, leaving several areas to contend with persistent dry conditions.

A comparison of weekly drought maps for September from 2022 to 2026 shows that this year's drought footprint is the widest of the five years studied, meaning a larger geographical area is under drought stress than during the same period in any of the preceding four years.

With September drawing to a close and drought-affected areas continuing to expand, the coming weeks will be critical for farmers in some of the country's most vulnerable regions.