BJP questions Telangana El Niño preparedness after Assembly seeks Central aid
Hyderabad: Senior BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy on Saturday questioned the Congress government’s El Niño preparedness in Telangana. He alleged that political battles were diverting attention from problems affecting nearly four crore people in the State.
His criticism followed a resolution adopted by the Telangana Legislative Assembly on September 18 seeking Central assistance for deficient rainfall. Narayana Reddy accused the State government of shifting responsibility to the Narendra Modi-led government instead of detailing its own response.
He said the Congress and BRS had reduced Telangana’s political discourse to disputes involving three or four leaders. Meanwhile, issues concerning farmers, workers, students, women, businesses and other sections were being pushed into the background, he alleged.
Narayana Reddy described the continuing Congress-BRS exchanges as “superficial politics”. He said much of the debate revolved around Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and other senior leaders.
According to him, the parties frequently traded allegations about the previous BRS government and the present Congress administration. However, he said such exchanges offered few solutions to immediate problems.
“The political discourse is about who did what, who owns what and who should be blamed,” he said. He added that people wanted answers on water, crops, employment, power and livelihoods.
Narayana Reddy said the El Niño situation required sustained administrative attention rather than political point-scoring. He alleged that the Congress was using its confrontation with the BRS and criticism of the Centre to deflect scrutiny of its preparedness.
The BJP leader said he had earlier warned about possible effects on agriculture, water availability, power and the wider economy. In July, he had called for an integrated water management strategy and contingency planning for a prolonged dry spell.
He had also sought maximum utilisation of available Godavari and Krishna river flows.
Telangana received about 543 mm of rainfall between June 1 and mid-September against the normal level of around 640 mm. Of the State’s 33 districts, 19 recorded deficient rainfall.
Kharif cultivation also declined to 123.74 lakh acres from 139.29 lakh acres in the previous year.
“The government had sufficient warning. The question is not whether El Niño exists,” Narayana Reddy said. “The question is what Telangana did with the warnings it received.”
El Niño preparedness and State action questioned
Narayana Reddy said the Assembly resolution demonstrated the seriousness of the situation. It sought a Rs 20,000-crore special package from the Centre along with drought-related assistance.
The resolution also sought additional employment days, power and coal support, fertiliser and drip-irrigation assistance. It further requested an increase in Telangana’s FRBM borrowing limit.
Narayana Reddy alleged that the resolution showed the State had not adequately managed the situation with its existing resources and plans.
He said Telangana should present a comprehensive action plan while seeking Central assistance. The plan should explain the funding requirement and proposed expenditure, he said.
It should also detail measures to protect farmers and secure drinking water. In addition, he sought clarity on preparations for the coming Yasangi season.
The BJP leader said seeking Central assistance during a difficult climatic situation was legitimate. However, he argued that such assistance could not replace planning at the State level.
The State government has said preparations began in April following weather warnings. Subsequently, a 27-member expert committee recommended measures estimated at about Rs 803 crore.
The proposed measures included support for micro-irrigation and drought-tolerant and short-duration seeds. They also covered alternative crops, fodder banks, cattle camps and contingency plans for areas where sowing could not be completed.
Narayana Reddy asked the government to disclose the implementation status of those measures. He also sought details of their impact on the ground.
He renewed his demand for maximum use of available river flows and restoration and filling of tanks and reservoirs. He also called for stronger rainwater harvesting structures.
Narayana Reddy sought a coordinated strategy covering drinking water, agriculture, irrigation, industry and power requirements.
In July, he had urged the government to pump Godavari water whenever river levels permitted. He also sought maximum storage in reservoirs and tanks.
He had called for resolving issues related to the Medigadda barrage and operating available pumping infrastructure wherever technically feasible.
Narayana Reddy said low reservoir levels and greater dependence on groundwater could also affect the Yasangi season. He warned that this could put additional pressure on farmers and the power system.
“People are not interested in an endless Congress-BRS war of words,” Narayana Reddy said. He said farmers needed water, rural workers needed employment and people needed drinking water.
“Governance should revolve around the problems of four crore people, not the politics of three or four individuals,” he said.