The Central government on Tuesday selected 315 districts that are likely to be affected by low precipitation this year, over a month into the southwest monsoon and with a rain deficit of 43%.
With less than 25% irrigation coverage, 111 of the 315 districts have been designated as "most vulnerable." Of the remainder, 128 are classified as "least vulnerable" (irrigation coverage greater than 50%) and 76 as "medium-vulnerable" (irrigation coverage between 25 and 50%).
Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh comprise about 22 of the 111 "highly vulnerable" districts.Despite indications of rain resurrection since Tuesday, the overall rainfall shortfall from June 1–23 reached 43%, prompting the decision to classify the regions most seriously affected.
"Weak monsoon conditions are likely to persist until July 2, which could impact the kharif harvest, particularly crops requiring more water, like paddy and maize," Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters following a high-level meeting of senior Met officials, state agriculture ministers, and district collectors of the most vulnerable districts on Tuesday.
According to him, specific programs would guarantee complete crop insurance, simpler credit availability, sufficient seeds for replanting, optimal use of available water resources, and fertilizer availability in the 111 districts.315 districts in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha have been identified by the government as likely to receive less rainfall than usual.
The ministry has created state-specific backup plans that suggest other crops that can thrive in the event of insufficient rainfall. Instead of relying solely on one crop, states have been urged to support short-duration and climate-resilient seed varieties as well as less water-intensive pulses, oilseeds, and coarse cereals. The amount of rainfall is lacking. We must recommend other crops to farmers. The minister declared, "We will not allow farm fields to remain empty."

"There are enough seeds and fertilizers for the season," he continued. Although they are decreasing, reservoir levels are higher than they were the previous year. Under the VB-GRAM G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin) initiative, states are required to save water for irrigation by cleaning ponds, streams, farm ponds, and dams.
In the designated states, the government has urged widespread enrollment in Kisan Credit Cards and crop-insurance programs. It has been requested that the 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras increase farmer outreach by providing timely advisories via call centers, WhatsApp, SMS, and other media.

Chouhan reaffirmed, "We will ensure production does not fall," while stating that the production predictions were based on normal conditions. For real-time tracking and advisories, the ministry established a Crop Weather Watch Group and an El Niño Monitoring Cell.