Nalgonda, July 20: The Telangana Government has directed officials to intensify preparedness measures to mitigate the anticipated impact of the El Niño phenomenon, with a special focus on safeguarding drinking water supplies, power availability, and agriculture across the unified Nalgonda district.
Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Collectorate in Nalgonda, Minister for Scheduled Castes Development and Tribal Welfare and District In-charge Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar said the government and officials have a responsibility to ensure that people do not face hardships due to the expected drought-like conditions. He instructed departments to work in coordination, create awareness among farmers about crop diversification and drought-resistant crops, and prioritise drinking water over irrigation.
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy warned that experts have predicted a severe “Super El Niño” impact this year. He appealed to farmers to avoid paddy cultivation in view of low reservoir levels and uncertain rainfall, urging them instead to adopt low-water-consuming crops. He stressed that the available water in reservoirs should be reserved primarily for drinking purposes and directed officials to conduct extensive awareness campaigns across villages.
The minister also announced that the government would expedite pending irrigation projects, including SLBC, Dindi, Baswapur, and Devadula Phase-6, to strengthen long-term water security. He presented a detailed PowerPoint on the Kaleshwaram project, explaining the current water situation to public representatives and the media.
Roads, Buildings and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy instructed officials to remain on the ground and respond proactively to emerging drought conditions. He assured farmers that the government would extend full support, protect standing crops, improve electricity infrastructure where needed, and resolve drinking water issues, particularly in Devarakonda.
Several MLAs and MLCs raised constituency-specific concerns, including the completion of irrigation works, strengthening drinking water infrastructure, addressing monkey menace affecting dryland crops, expediting land acquisition, improving substations and transformers, and ensuring uninterrupted Mission Bhagiratha water supply.
The meeting reviewed the preparedness of the Agriculture, Irrigation, Horticulture, Power, Mission Bhagiratha, Groundwater, Rural Development, and Animal Husbandry departments. Ministers and public representatives also unveiled a wall publication on Telangana’s water resources during the event
