Hyderabad: Marketing, Agriculture, Handlooms and Textiles and Cooperation Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao directed officials to strengthen Super El Niño preparedness by protecting drinking water resources, promoting alternative crops and coordinating across departments.
The Minister chaired a review meeting with officials at the Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC) to assess preparedness for the expected impact of Super El Niño. Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whip and Vemulawada MLA Adi Srinivas, District Collector Garima Agrawal, MLAs Kavvampalli Satyanarayana and Medipalli Satyam, and SP Mahesh B. Gite attended the meeting.
Officials presented the district’s preparedness plan and unveiled posters on the district El Niño action plan and the Telangana Jalasiri programme.
Super El Niño preparedness focuses on water security
Thummala Nageswara Rao reviewed reservoir storage, crop acreage, Mission Bhagiratha water supply and electricity availability.
He said forecasts indicated that Super El Niño could have a greater impact on southern India and reduce rainfall. Therefore, he directed officials to prepare plans to reserve available reservoir water exclusively for drinking purposes until July next year.
The Minister instructed Mission Bhagiratha officials to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply. He added that the rainfall received over the past two days would benefit crops only temporarily.
Thummala said delayed rainfall over the past two months had reduced crop cultivation. He instructed Agriculture and Horticulture Department officials to educate farmers on alternative crops suitable for the coming season.
Thummala asked officials to promote short-duration crops, pulses and oil palm cultivation. He also directed them to ensure adequate seed availability and maintain a strong field presence to guide farmers.
Super El Niño preparedness includes groundwater conservation
The Minister said groundwater levels had declined by more than two metres compared with last year. He instructed officials to regularly update farmers and the public on groundwater conditions.
Thummala directed every gram panchayat and municipality to encourage households to construct rainwater harvesting pits. He also instructed departments to build recharge pits in all government offices and school campuses.
Thummala ordered officials to accelerate borewell recharge works and farm pond construction under the Telangana Jalasiri programme. He also directed officials to prepare a detailed plan for Mission Bhagiratha water supply and ensure additional pumping motors remained ready.
The Minister instructed Agriculture Department officials to create awareness about nano urea and ensure adequate fertiliser supplies. He also asked officials to prevent misinformation regarding fertiliser availability.
He directed the police to maintain law and order while monitoring issues arising from the weather situation. The Minister stressed that all departments should work in close coordination to minimise the impact of Super El Niño.
District Collector Garima Agrawal said the administration had already launched awareness programmes on El Niño and crop diversification. She said officials were sending advisories to farmers receiving Rythu Bharosa assistance and conducting awareness campaigns on crops suitable for August sowing.
The Collector said the district cultivated crops on 1.85 lakh acres last year, while cultivation had reached 78,000 acres so far this year. She added that the district had achieved 400 acres of its 1,500-acre oil palm cultivation target and continued to make progress.