El Nino century’s biggest natural crisis: CM Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad: The Telangana government will soon finalise a “robust action plan” to tackle the El Niño, ostensibly on the lines of the strict measures taken during the Covid pandemic in the state. “Restricted power consumption” has been posited as part of the austerity measures to be included in the El Nino action plan, which will be implemented soon.

At a high-level meeting, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy warned the officials that the state would plunge into a deep crisis if the El Niño crisis is not tackled effectively in the coming days.

“We are now beyond any doubt that we are facing the worst natural crisis of over a century. El Nino has left us with a severe situation, and a large rainfall deficit, which will get worse till next year. We will have to come together to face this crisis,” Revanth Reddy said.

The state government is prepared to ensure we take care of our people through all means, and beyond, till the end of this crisis, he added.

“Let us all be prepared for water and power shortage and voluntarily cut wastage. Together, let us face this crisis,” he appealed to people.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the available power should be utilised judiciously as the energy crisis is looming large.

Officials were told to ensure prudent use of the available electricity and to take measures to temporarily postpone electricity-intensive activities wherever possible. “There is a risk of the power crisis intensifying and the government is prepared to incur any necessary expenditure to procure electricity. However, electricity is not available in the market”, the Chief Minister told the officials, while asking them to formulate plans particularly concerning drinking water, irrigation, agriculture, and electricity.

Stating that the next eight months were crucial in dealing with the El Niño crisis, the Chief Minister ordered an assessment of the standing crops and directed officials to ensure there is no water shortage until the harvest is completed. Revanth Reddy stressed the need for measures to prevent the water crisis from worsening in the future and insisted that precautions be taken to ensure not a single drop of water goes waste.

The Chief Minister announced that a special meeting with Ministers would be held soon to discuss the impact of the El Niño phenomenon and the consequential rainfall deficit in the state. He stated that key decisions would be taken after deliberating on the situation in areas with low rainfall, the difficulties faced by farmers, and the immediate measures the government needs to implement. The Chief Minster also instructed officials to request the Centre to provide an additional 50 days of employment beyond the standard 125 days under the employment guarantee scheme as the state government is prepared to facilitate these extra workdays. A decision regarding the formation of an all-party committee delegation, if necessary, would be taken after discussing the matter with the Ministers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patan Afzal Babu

[email protected]

Patan Afzal Babu is an experienced journalist specializing in political and state Administration. With over 20 years of writing expertise, Afzal Babu contributes new content in the areas of politics and administration. Afzal has completed post-graduation from Hyderabad Central University (with a specialization in Journalism). Afzal Babu is an accomplished writer with a passion for writing political news and breaking news. With over 20 years of experience, Afzal honed skills in various genres, including major crime news. Afzal’s diverse family history and embracing cultures have enriched writing with unique perspectives.

Read More