Hyderabad: The Telangana government is planning a six-month statewide water conservation drive that will involve every village in restoring, rejuvenating and conserving water resources, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said. The initiative aims to generate large-scale rural employment and reduce the impact of El Niño conditions.
Uttam Kumar Reddy spoke at a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday. He said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had directed the Irrigation and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development departments to prepare a comprehensive action plan jointly. The programme will run from January to June 2027, ahead of the next monsoon.
The initiative will seek to mobilise villagers on a large scale, particularly agricultural labourers, for water conservation and related works. The Minister said the state should turn the challenges of El Niño conditions into an opportunity. He wants the programme to focus on creating durable water assets, strengthening existing irrigation infrastructure and improving groundwater availability.
355 categories of works listed
The Minister discussed the broad contours of the proposed initiative with senior officials. He called for an integrated approach involving the Irrigation, Rural Development, Groundwater, Energy and other relevant departments. Officials have already prepared a comprehensive list of 355 categories of works. These cover various activities that the state could undertake over the five-to-six-month period.
Quoting the Chief Minister, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the departments concerned should design the programme around clearly defined objectives. They should also ensure adequate financial support and put an effective implementation mechanism in place at the village level.