Kerala (a state on India's southwestern coast) is experiencing a severe agricultural crisis after recording a 38% rainfall deficit between March 1 and April 21, with some districts hit far harder — Palakkad at 66%, Malappuram at 60%, and both Kollam and Idukki at 54%. The shortfall comes at a particularly damaging moment, as summer crops such as paddy are in the tillering stage, a critical phase in which plants require steady moisture and moderate temperatures to develop properly. Farmers warn that intense heat combined with the prolonged dry spell is stunting growth and threatening livelihoods across most of the state, with only three of Kerala's fourteen districts — Kannur, Kozhikode, and Pathanamthitta — receiving normal rainfall during the period.