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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
TopicDrought

Topic: Drought

A city without water is a harbinger of a thirsty planet

Cape Town and Chennai in recent years endured punishing droughts. Similar conditions afflicted Bengaluru and Hyderabad last year. Now Tehran is facing the same emergency.

For the first time in 4 decades, Zimbabwe to cull 200 elephants to mitigate food shortages

Communities in southern Africa are facing acute hunger due to an El Nino-induced drought. Neighbouring Namibia, too, last month distributed elephant meat among those affected.

China faces severe drought following scarce rainfall & sweltering heat

Prompt action has been initiated by authorities to minimise impacts on agriculture, water and energy supplies. Harsh weather conditions likely to continue until end of next week.

11% of tehsils saw drop in rainfall in past decade — study shows how monsoon patterns are shifting

On reverse side, 31 percent of tehsils saw increase of four or more days of heavy rainfall per year over last decade, according to Council on Energy, Environment, and Water.

Dry spell in peak monsoon season puts Maharashtra govt on back foot, Oppn says ‘declare drought’

August saw nearly 60% deficit in terms of avg rainfall. Reservoir levels have depleted, crops damaged, number of tankers being used to supply water to villages has increased manifold.

Southern Europe bracing for summer of ferocious drought with water shortages, worst yields

Soils have become bone dry in Spain, southern France and Italy. Low river and reservoir levels are threatening this summer's hydropower production.

Thirsty tomatoes emit ultrasonic sounds – and other plants may be listening

Some people think of plants as passive, but all organisms use whatever sources of information are available to them to adapt themselves to their environment.

Venice canals run dry: Visuals of grounded gondolas, water taxis show low water levels

The warning comes as Venice faces unusually low tides, making it impossible for gondolas, ambulances to navigate its canals. Last year, Italy suffered its worst drought in 70 years.

US to China, increasing droughts are affecting supply chains badly. What you must know

More intense droughts are an inevitable consequence of climate change. Reducing their severity will only be achieved by restoring ecosystems.

1,000-year-old Indian stalagmites more than geological wonders—they warn us of coming catastrophe

Like tree rings, their layers record the region’s rainfall history. They also carry a warning about the potential for multiyear droughts in the future.

On Camera

Imagine if Epstein files named Rahul Gandhi or MK Stalin. What would BJP and TV media do?

The questions are not going to go away. But future generations will know who refused to ask the tough questions and who didn’t.

Venezuela crude returns to India’s oil basket. But only as ‘supplementary’ supply

Indian refiners are testing Venezuelan barrels again as Russian supply sinks, but analysts say volumes will remain limited due to refinery constraints & supply capacity.

US military commander, envoy Sergio Gor visit Indian Army Western Command, Bengaluru next

At the Western Army Command, the American delegation was briefed on the capabilities of the formation, past operations and the path ahead.

The new Great Game—Trump’s playing for time, China for leverage & India for wiggle room

This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.