CS directs Collectors to prepare drought reports

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju instructed district collectors on Friday to review seasonal conditions following the El Niño phenomenon and prevailing rainfall deficit across the state. Collectors were directed to assess ground realities, draft preliminary reports on drought-affected mandals, and execute necessary mitigation measures.

Jaju informed that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will consult with ministers on Monday, followed by an interactive video conference with farmers, agricultural scientists, and state officials from the Secretariat, with farmers participating through Rythu Vedikas. Collectors were instructed to coordinate with agriculture department officials and involve local public representatives in the exercise.

Jaju stressed the imperative of crop diversification and advance planning to shield farmers from adverse weather impacts, affirming that the state government is making all-out efforts to guarantee uninterrupted power supply.

Directing collectors to study the drought manual and submit reports identifying affected mandals, Jaju advised utilizing VBGRAMG funds to construct durable assets while providing gainful employment for rural labourers, clarifying that adequate funds remain available to combat drought conditions.

Panchayat Raj Commissioner Divya Devarajan briefed collectors on generating wage employment under VBGRAMG, advocating large-scale labour-intensive works including tank desilting, field channel clearing, rural road improvement, trench excavation, and water conservation projects. Agriculture Secretary Surendra Mohan presented an overview of the rainfall scenario and detailed the agriculture action plan for the upcoming Rabi season, emphasizing appropriate planning amidst prevailing weather conditions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India