HYDERABAD:Safeguard drinking water supplies. Ensure uninterrupted electricity. Generate and ensure rural employment. Support agriculture, but with a focus on crops that require less water.
These four principles were to form the backbone of Telangana’s drought mitigation plans for the months to come as the government geared up to combat the impacts of an unprecedented strong El Nino, according to the Cabinet sub-committee on El Nino impact, which had its first meeting on Friday.
The group also announced that the government would declare a list of drought-affected mandals by October 31, the deadline to do so, and that an all-party meeting will be held soon for wider discussions on the drought conditions.
The meeting under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and was attended by its members, ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Danasari ‘Seethakka’ Anasuya, Tummala Nageswara Rao and Vakiti Srihari. Also present were Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and secretaries of various departments.
Bhatti sought from officials a scientific assessment of drought conditions and identification of mandals eligible for declaration as drought-affected areas. This exercise should not be limited to areas already experiencing severe drought but also to mandals where drought impact exceeded 20 per cent. “Advance assessment of drought will help the government provide timely assistance to people. Every department must identify the challenges within its jurisdiction and prepare clear action plans to address them,” he said.
Irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said in view of the prevailing water scarcity, farmers should not cultivate paddy. “Agriculture and irrigation departments must provide advance guidance to farmers on crop selection based on water availability and weather conditions,” he said.
Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said farmers and the general public should be made aware of the actual ground situation. He suggested that weekly reports containing data on groundwater levels, rising temperatures and other relevant indicators should be released at the district level, with steps that will ensure this information reaches everyone.
Panchayat raj minister Seethakka called for the allocation of special emergency funds to district collectors and ITDA Project officers. Drought-related works worth approximately `7,000 crore were being undertaken in the state, she said.
Animal husbandry, dairy development and sports minister Vakiti Srihari said in view of water levels in village tanks declining significantly, impacting fisheries, and priority was now for releasing fish into major reservoirs. He also called for the installation of drinking water troughs for livestock in every village to ensure adequate water availability for animals.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju said `1 crore each had been released to district collectors as emergency funds and that preliminary assessments had found that 358 mandals had been hit by drought. While 18 districts recorded deficient rainfall, 15 received normal rainfall, he said.
He also said that groundwater levels have become a matter of concern in 324 mandals across the state. Even reservoirs in Telangana were faring poorly with only 170 TMCft of water available against the 470 tmc ft they can store, he added.
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