No irrigation water available next season: Telangana CM

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has warned of a severe water and power crisis over the coming months due to drought conditions and the impact of El Nino. Stressing that drinking water would take precedence over irrigation, he urged farmers to opt for less water-intensive crops.

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has warned that no water would be available for agriculture in the next season and urged people to adopt austerity measures to conserve power and water. The government would prioritise drinking water, with no provision for irrigation. He advised farmers to cultivate crops that require less water.

“Paddy sowing for the next Yasangi has not commenced. Not a single drop (of water) will be available in November, December, January and February,” he cautioned at a meeting with Congress MLAs and leaders on Friday.

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Revanth Reddy warned that the El Nino crisis could develop into a major crisis over the next eight to 10 months. He asked Congress leaders to create awareness about the challenges ahead, noting that Telangana had 30 lakh agricultural pump sets, of which 15 lakh had already run dry.

The Chief Minister said traders from other States were buying fine rice paddy varieties before the government began procurement. The government was offering a minimum support price of Rs. 2,400 per quintal and a bonus of Rs. 500 for seven specified varieties, taking the total to Rs. 2,900. However, traders were offering farmers Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 4,000 per quintal in advance.

He said farmers had trusted the government’s appeal to cultivate the specified varieties and were benefiting from remunerative prices. Despite the government’s readiness to procure the paddy, farmers had shown little interest in selling it. 

“This should be explained to the people,” he said.

Responding to opposition criticism over fine rice prices reaching Rs. 85 to Rs. 90 a kilogram in retail markets, Revanth Reddy said prices would rise when farmers received Rs. 4,000 per quintal.

He called for a comprehensive plan to meet power demand, citing Andhra Pradesh’s purchase of electricity at Rs. 15 per unit against the Central government norms limiting the price to Rs. 10. 

“We tried as well but there is no power available in the market. Despite efforts to secure loans from banks, there is no power left for purchasing,” he admitted. 

Even if electricity could be arranged, groundwater was unavailable, he said, warning that farmers would incur losses and might not recover their investments.

He accused the BRS of blaming the Congress government for the drought despite its efforts to supply quality power to farmers and households. He warned that failure to explain the facts could allow the BRS’s claims about power and other sectors to gain public acceptance, damaging the Congress politically.

The Chief Minister urged the Planning Commission to promote judicious power use in government offices by reducing the use of air conditioners, fans and other electrical appliances. 

He asked the Panchayat Raj Department to prepare special MGNREGA plans after Sankranthi, including road development and clearing wild growth in feeder channels to provide livelihoods for poor people. Cultural troupes should compose folk songs to help farmers, youth and women cope with hardships, he said.

Revanth Reddy directed elected public representatives to remain in rural areas for four months, until May. An app would track their locations. 

“If you hand over your phones to other places, gunmen will alert us,” he warned.