El Niño preparedness: Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar calls for mission-mode response
Hyderabad: El Niño preparedness must remain the government’s top priority as all departments work in mission mode to protect farmers and the public from the impact of below-normal rainfall, Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar directed officials on Tuesday.
The Speaker attended a joint review meeting on the contingency action plan at the Ranga Reddy Collectorate. District Collector C. Narayana Reddy chaired the meeting, while Government Chief Whip Patnam Mahender Reddy participated as the guest of honour.
Gaddam Prasad Kumar asked every department to finalise advance action plans and implement contingency measures to tackle possible drought conditions. Further, he directed officials to ensure adequate seed supply, uninterrupted drinking water, sufficient fodder, employment guarantee works, continuous power supply and essential medical services.
He urged farmers to shift from paddy to low-water crops such as green gram, red gram, sorghum and finger millet. In addition, he instructed officials to make seeds for alternative crops available without delay.
The Speaker directed departments to prevent fodder shortages and manage available water resources efficiently. Meanwhile, he asked officials to drill new borewells wherever necessary and ensure uninterrupted electricity for drinking water borewells. He also instructed them to resolve local issues immediately.
El Niño preparedness focuses on farmers and water supply
Although natural calamities cannot be prevented, advance planning and coordinated action can significantly reduce their impact, Gaddam Prasad Kumar said. Therefore, he urged every department to work together to protect people from drought conditions linked to El Niño.
Government Chief Whip Patnam Mahender Reddy advised farmers to cultivate crops that require less water instead of paddy. He also encouraged cultivation of horticultural crops, fruit orchards and flowers. Further, he asked Agriculture and Horticulture Department officials to organise awareness meetings at the mandal level. He directed officials to guide farmers in Ibrahimpatnam and Maheshwaram, where paddy cultivation is extensive, according to water availability.
District Collector C. Narayana Reddy instructed all departments to implement their preparedness plans without delay. Additionally, he asked officials to identify alternative drinking water sources and closely monitor water supply in villages and urban areas. He directed the Agriculture Department to create awareness on alternative crops and ensure adequate stocks of seeds and fertilisers. Similarly, he instructed the Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration and Health departments to implement their action plans immediately. He stressed that every department should remain alert to prevent inconvenience to the public.
During the meeting, officials from various departments explained their action plans and contingency measures through PowerPoint presentations. The Speaker later unveiled Telangana Jalasiri posters.
Joint district Special Officers Savyasachi and Vikas Raj, MLAs Mal Reddy Rangareddy, Kale Yadaiah, Veerlapalli Shankar and Manohar Reddy, HMWSSB Managing Director Ashok Reddy, Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation Commissioner Vinay Krishna Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri District Collector Manu Choudary, MLC Dayanand, Additional Collectors K. Kiranmayi and Chandra Reddy, DRO Sharada, municipal chairpersons, RDOs and senior officials from the Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration, Revenue, Health, Groundwater and Irrigation departments attended the meeting.