Telangana Faces Unprecedented Crisis Due to El Niño, Warns Chief Minister K. Revanth Reddy
Chief Minister K. Revanth Reddy warns Telangana is on the brink of a crisis due to El Niño, urging water conservation amid rising demands.
Hyderabad, October 15 (Daily Kiran) : Chief Minister K. Revanth Reddy issued a stark warning on Thursday regarding the severe challenges Telangana may face due to the unprecedented El Niño phenomenon. He highlighted a significant reduction in water reservoirs and an increase in electricity demand, signaling a potential crisis ahead.
Reddy emphasized that the upcoming 9 to 10 months will be extremely difficult. He urged farmers to delay sowing the Rabi (Yasangi) crops to ensure the state can maintain its drinking water supply. The Chief Minister also called for urgent water conservation measures among the public.
Despite efforts to protect crops, Reddy warned that approximately one million acres of farmland could be affected during the Kharif season. Following a meeting with ministers to assess the situation caused by El Niño, he noted that water levels in the Krishna basin are down 72 percent compared to last year, with overall rainfall during the monsoon season reduced by 23 percent.
Reddy pointed out that there is insufficient water in reservoirs to meet drinking and agricultural needs. Typically, reservoirs hold around 462 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water at this time, but currently, only 200 TMC is available. He described this as an unprecedented moment of crisis for all.
The state is responsible for providing drinking water to 24,000 villages, making it crucial to use existing resources wisely. Reddy urged for prudent water use for irrigation and called for a reduction in electricity consumption.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring sufficient drinking water and fodder for livestock, warning that many animals could perish without adequate resources. The situation is exacerbated by a surge in electricity demand, which has risen to 20,003 megawatts this October, compared to the usual 15,000 megawatts. This increase is largely due to the heightened use of agricultural pump sets, with around 30 lakh operational across the state.
To safeguard standing crops ahead of the expected monsoon harvest in about 20 days, the government is purchasing electricity at market rates, Reddy revealed.
