Hyderabad: State Scheduled Castes Development and ST Welfare Minister and united Nalgonda district in-charge Adluri Laxman Kumar, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Monday reviewed El Niño preparedness in the united Nalgonda district. They directed officials to prioritise drinking water, protect standing crops and encourage farmers to shift from paddy to alternative crops.
The review meeting took place at Udayaditya Bhavan in the Nalgonda Collectorate. Adluri Laxman Kumar said experts had warned that El Niño could affect agriculture, irrigation, drinking water and power supply in the coming months. He added that the government and officials must work together to minimise hardship for the public.
The minister directed agriculture, horticulture, groundwater and allied departments to coordinate their efforts. Meanwhile, officials must strengthen field-level outreach and guide farmers on crop diversification. They should also promote dryland crops and help farmers protect standing crops.
El Niño preparedness focuses on crop diversification
Adluri Laxman Kumar instructed officials to keep farmers informed about rainfall conditions. Timely advisories, he said, would help minimise crop losses. At the same time, officials should discourage fresh borewell drilling for irrigation and give top priority to drinking water. Farmers who had already cultivated paddy should receive the necessary support, he added.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said experts had described the expected weather pattern as a severe El Niño event. Further, he asked officials to launch extensive awareness campaigns discouraging paddy cultivation because of low rainfall and limited reservoir storage.
The minister asked officials to inform farmers that groundwater sources might not sustain irrigation until harvest. Meanwhile, reservoir storage, he said, was sufficient mainly for drinking water needs. If rainfall remains below normal, drinking water shortages could arise until next July. Therefore, farmers should assess the prevailing conditions before choosing alternative crops.
Komatireddy Venkat Reddy directed officials to undertake regular field visits. He asked them to stay in constant touch with farmers and local communities. The government, he said, would support people if drought conditions intensified. In addition, he ordered daily reviews to ensure standing crops remained protected.
Nalgonda District Collector B. Chandrasekhar presented a PowerPoint on the district’s contingency plans and El Niño preparedness measures. The meeting also reviewed the preparedness of the agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, electricity, Mission Bhagiratha, groundwater, rural development and animal husbandry departments.