Breaking News

The decline in water level in reservoirs has raised concern over Kharif prospects, drinking water supply and hydropower generation. VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh is confronting a deepening monsoon crisis as 15 districts reel under deficient rainfall and reservoir storage has fallen sharply, raising concerns over kharif cultivation, irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation. The state has received 73.8 mm of rainfall against the normal 100.6 mm between June 1 and July 4, registering an overall 26.6 percent rainfall deficit, while water storage in major and medium reservoirs remains significantly lower than the corresponding period last year. The prolonged dry spell has slowed progress of the southwest monsoon across large parts of the state, reducing inflows into reservoirs and increasing pressure on available water resources. With July being the most crucial month for the kharif season, officials are closely monitoring the rainfall situation and reservoir levels. According to the latest APWRIMS data, 15 districts have recorded deficient rainfall, while NTR district is the only district to register excess rainfall, receiving 25.4 per cent above normal precipitation. Districts witnessing severe rainfall shortages include Visakhapatnam (-50.4%), Alluri Sitharama Raju (-49%), Annamayya (-49%), West Godavari (-46%), East Godavari (-44.7%), Parvathipuram Manyam (-41.9%), Konaseema (-41.7%), Srikakulam (-39.7%), Tirupati (-36.8%), Chittoor (-34.9%), Polavaram (-34.4%), YSR Kadapa (-32.2%), Prakasam (-25.6%) and Vizianagaram (-25.4%), while another district also remained under the deficient category. Only a few districts, including Krishna, Eluru, Guntur, Bapatla, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapuramu, Sri Sathya Sai, SPSR Nellore and Markapuram, have received rainfall within the normal range, highlighting the uneven spread of monsoon showers across the state. The weak monsoon has also impacted reservoir storage. The 33 major and 80 medium reservoirs in the state have a combined gross storage capacity of 1,106.359 TMC. As on July 4, they contained 414.803 TMC, accounting for 37.49 per cent of the total capacity, compared with 558.992 TMC (50.53 per cent) during the corresponding period last year. The current storage is over 144 TMC lower than last year’s level. Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department is managing irrigation with the limited water available. Officials are releasing about 2,800 cusecs of water from the Prakasam Barrage to Krishna delta, including 2,000 cusecs drawn from the Pulichintala Project, to maintain supplies to the Krishna Delta.Currently 1500 cusecs of water is being released for Ryves canal, 500 for Bandar direct, another 500 cusecs for Eluru, and 300 cusecs for KEB. KC Division Executive Engineer Ravi said water supply is being continued to the main canals, while releases to distributary canals will be regulated depending on availability. The department is now banking on the arrival of Godavari floodwaters after July 20. Once adequate inflows are received, water will be lifted through the Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme and diverted to the Krishna basin.

Seeking that the Government Orders 975 and 673 be withdrawn, the protesting workers say the model will jeopardise their livelihoods, besides imposing user chargers on the public Municipal workers staged a demonstration at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Monday, demanding that the government roll back its plans to hand over the responsibility of running various municipal works to private agencies through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. Led by A.P. Municipal Workers and Employees’ Union State president K. Nagabhushan and general secretary K. Umamaheswara Rao, the workers had initially planned to march to Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister P. Narayana’s residence but were stopped by officials at the protesting site. The union leaders, who had collected signatures of hundreds of workers opposing the alleged privatisation, submitted these to the department officials.

Some private suppliers in the city are charging significantly more for the PNG, they complain Members of the Vijayawada Hotel Owners Association have urged the Andhra Pradesh government to address the key challenges affecting the hospitality sector. In a representation submitted to Vijayawada Joint Collector S. Ilakkiya on Tuesday (June 9, 2026), the association acknowledged the government’s continued support to the industry, emphasising that hotels and restaurants play a significant role in employment generation, tourism promotion, public service, and the State’s economic development.

VIJAYAWADA: A petition has been filed in the High Court challenging a G.O. that imposed a 60-day ban on the sale of Paraquat Dichloride 24% SL herbicide on Friday. The G.O. was issued by the Agriculture Department on May 22, 2026. The petition was filed by V Venkata Nagi Reddy, State President of the Fertilisers, Pesticides and Seed Dealers Association. He stated ban was imposed based on a letter from the DGP citing suicides committed via consumption of herbicide. The petitioner argued that the government imposed the ban without issuing notices to stakeholders or providing an opportunity to present objections. According to the petition, provisions of the Insecticides Act permit a ban only when the chemical poses risks arising from its agricultural use, and not merely because it has been used in suicide cases. The petitioner stated that the decision would create difficulties for farmers in controlling weeds during the cultivation season and cause heavy losses to dealers. The plea seeks a declaration that the government order is illegal and requests the court to set it aside, allowing the manufacture, distribution and sale of Paraquat Dichloride 24% SL.

Doctors shifted the babies to another hospital as smoke billowed into the casualty ward and the first floor, fire officials said A fire broke out at Rainbow Children’s Hospital at Currency Nagar in Vijayawada on Wednesday (June 17, 2026). No casualties were reported, and the patients were shifted to a nearby hospital, Fire Department officials said. Smoke billowed from the emergency ward and then spread to the first floor. Panicky attendants of the patients and the hospital staff shifted the babies to safer places.

He was joined by Baba Ramdev at Yoga Day event in Vijayawada; the CM said Prime Minister Modi has brought global recognition to yoga Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday (June 21, 2026) asserted that the transformation of Andhra Pradesh into a healthy, wealthy, and happy State was possible through spirituality and practice of yoga. Participating at a celebrations events in Vijayawada, Mr. Naidu expressed his resolve to have permanent yoga centers constructed in Swarna Grama and Ward Secretariats, appoint district and mandal-level officials to supervise yoga programmes, and form an expert committee to create standard yoga protocols.

The team headed by IGP M. Ravi Prakash will probe into illegal detention, custodial torture, murder and screening of evidence in Krishnalanka police station in NTR Commissionerate, the order says The State government issued orders constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into Gade Sai Krishna’s alleged custodial death, which occurred in the NTR Police Commissionerate. Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad issued orders to this effect on Sunday (June 21, 2026). The SIT, headed by Inspector General of Police M. Ravi Prakash, will investigate the illegal detention, custodial torture, murder, and screening of evidence in Sai Krishna’s death.