How community-based weather data is bolstering this Wayanad panchayat’s demand for drought-hit status

A drought-hit paddy field in Thirunelly grama panchayat in Wayanad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A community-based weather monitoring system set up by Thirunelly grama panchayat in Wayanad, Keralam, has recorded a 47% deficit in southwest monsoon rainfall, prompting the local body to urge the Keralam government to declare the area severely drought-hit amid concerns over a strong El Niño.

The network comprises rain gauges installed in all wards and at select public institutions and offices, with 15 trained volunteers regularly recording weather data. The initiative, implemented with technical support from the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, enables the panchayat to track hyperlocal variations in rainfall and respond to emerging agricultural and water security concerns.

The data collected through the system have helped the panchayat assess the severity of the rainfall deficit during the current season.

“The monitoring network has been helping us better understand local conditions, and what we are witnessing in this region is unprecedented,” said Thirunelly grama panchayat president Anju Balan. “The lack of rain has severely affected paddy cultivation, forcing many farmers to abandon it midway. Coffee, pepper and other crops have also been adversely affected. The panchayat has also started facing water shortages.”

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) lone weather station in Wayanad, located at Ambalavayal, recorded a 53% deficit in the southwest monsoon rainfall during the same period. Eastern Wayanad has been particularly affected, with paddy fields drying up and agricultural activities coming under stress.

The Hume Centre’s weather laboratory, which monitors meteorological conditions at 200 locations across Wayanad, recorded a rise of more than 2°C in Thirunelly’s average maximum temperature in September compared with the same month in 2025. The higher temperatures have compounded the stress on crops caused by inadequate rainfall.

Average maximum temperature in Thirunelly over the past three years. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

C.K. Vishnudas, executive director of the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, says the panchayat’s initiative shows how community-based climate monitoring can inform local governance and enable timely interventions.

‘A bottom-up approach’

“The data collected at the local level have helped the panchayat assess the situation and make a demand based on evidence. This is a bottom-up approach to climate monitoring and decision-making,” he said.

Paddy farmers in the region had observed early flowering, reportedly due to heat stress.

“The failure of the southwest monsoon has affected agricultural operations and crop growth during the crucial transplanting and early growth stages of paddy,” said Rajesh Krishnan, chief executive officer of the Thirunelly Agri Producer Company. “Although recent northeast monsoon rains have brought some relief to Wayanad, the prolonged rainfall deficit has left farmers concerned about the kharif season. If the situation persists, they could suffer substantial yield losses.”

Against this backdrop, the panchayat has written to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, who is also the chairperson of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, seeking urgent intervention to provide relief to affected communities, including paddy and dairy farmers and plantation crop growers.

Panchayat authorities say an early declaration of drought-hit status would help affected farmers access government assistance, strengthen water conservation measures, and ensure drinking water for people and livestock.

Published - October 27, 2026 09:44 am IST