New Delhi, Sept. 28 -- The Centre will send teams to Karnataka and Maharashtra on October 3 to assess the drought situation as low water availability raises concerns over the remaining Kharif crop and the coming Rabi season, agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. He also said he would visit both states with his team to assess the situation.

Maharashtra has already declared a drought at the state level, with nearly two-thirds of the state affected, Chouhan said. Karnataka is also facing a drought situation, he said while speaking at the National Agriculture Conference on Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi.

The immediate concern is water availability for agriculture. Chouhan said that rainfall has been below average and a...