"el-nino-impact"

Rising maize and soya prices have increased poultry production costs, with industry representatives warning that chicken and egg prices could rise by 10 to 15 per cent. Telangana Poultry Federation has alleged hoarding and sought government intervention to curb shortages.

Amid severe drought conditions linked to the impact of El Nino, the Telangana Pollution Control Board has urged industries to utilise treated domestic wastewater from sewage treatment plants instead of relying on groundwater and freshwater sources.

BRS leader T Harish Rao has demanded that the Telangana government release a white paper detailing water availability, reservoir-wise stocks and drought mitigation measures amid worsening drought conditions in the state. He also accused the Congress government of failing to act despite advance warnings about the El Nino impact.

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.

The United Nations has warned that a potentially unprecedented El Nino event could trigger extreme heat, droughts, floods and cyclones across Asia, the Pacific, Africa and Latin America, causing humanitarian crises and economic shocks worldwide. UN officials have called for urgent global action and preparedness measures, warning that the impacts could last well beyond the climatic event's peak.

Telangana is planning a foodgrain security buffer for 3.42 crore PDS beneficiaries amid El Nino concerns and rising rice prices. Officials estimate that existing stocks and pending receipts will meet combined welfare requirements until September 2027, while additional essential commodities are under consideration.

Telangana Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said drought-like conditions have affected 315 mandals due to rainfall deficit and El Nino impact. He sought immediate Central assistance, higher MSP procurement support, enhanced funding for water conservation works, and fertiliser subsidy reforms to help farmers.

Special Chief Secretary and nodal officer for drought management in the erstwhile Medak district, Vani Prasad, advised farmers to take water availability into account while planning cultivation during the Yasangi season.

Facing growing unrest among farmers over power supply disruptions during the harvesting season, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy warned senior IAS officers of suspension and directed officials to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

Telangana government advisor and MLA P. Sudarshan Reddy has urged farmers not to cultivate the Yasangi (Rabi) crop due to severe El Nino impact, drought-like conditions, declining water levels, and power shortages.

Tenant farmers in Telangana have expressed concern that any drought relief announced by the State government may benefit landowners while cultivators without formal recognition remain excluded. Farmers' organisations have urged the government to issue Cultivator Cards amid concerns over drought conditions and the impact of El Nino.

Employment generation under the VB-GRAM-G scheme has declined sharply in Telangana, with person-days, household participation and completion of 100 days of work all falling significantly. The State government has urged the Centre to expand permissible works under the scheme to help rural livelihoods affected by the El Nino-induced rainfall deficit.

Farmers across Telangana are staging protests at substations and squatting on roads, alleging inadequate power supply during the Vanakalam season. With deficient rainfall already affecting crops, the shortage of electricity is preventing farmers from operating borewells and pump sets, raising fears of crop failure.

Telangana has recorded a 10 per cent increase in cropped area despite the El Niño impact, according to PJTAU. The university said pulses and oilseed cultivation has increased, attributing the growth to crop diversification campaigns encouraging farmers to adopt alternative cropping patterns.

Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla urged Telangana to expand pulse and oil palm cultivation, citing India’s heavy dependence on edible oil imports and stressing the need for self-reliance amid El Nino concerns.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress government for allowing Godavari floodwaters to flow downstream despite water scarcity in Telangana. He urged the government to utilise the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme to protect crops and support farmers facing deficient rainfall.

Amid concerns over the impact of El Niño and declining reservoir levels, horticulture experts have advised Telangana farmers to shift to less water-intensive crops such as vegetables, cereals, oilseeds and pulses and adopt integrated farming systems to improve profitability.