New Delhi, Sept. 29 -- The Centre will send teams to Karnataka and Maharashtra to assess the drought situation as low water availability raises concerns over the remaining Kharif crop and the coming Rabi season, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday. A central team will visit Karnataka on October 3, followed by another team to Maharashtra. Chouhan said he would visit both states with his team separately to assess the situation. Speaking at the National Agriculture Conference on Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi, he said Maharashtra has already declared drought with nearly two-third of the state affected, whereas Karnataka is also facing a similar situation, with immediate concern being the availability of water for agriculture. The Union minister acknowledged rainfall has been below average and asked states to prepare a "water budget", assessing the water available for irrigation and the moisture remaining in the soil, before deciding their Rabi crop plans. The Centre will use the field assessments in Karnataka and Maharashtra to get a clearer picture of the drought situation, while states have been asked to monitor crop conditions, sowing, germination and pest attacks every week. "Every week we review the condition of crops, sowing, market rates and pest attacks so that action can be taken wherever required," Chouhan said....