Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday warned that the El Niño phenomenon could cause shortages of water and electricity in Telangana, and asked the public and farmers to remain vigilant in the coming months.
Speaking to reporters after reviewing El Niño conditions with his Cabinet colleagues, the Chief Minister urged farmers to switch to crops that require less water during the Yasangi (rabi) season instead of paddy. He asked them to defer paddy cultivation for one season and assured them that the government would extend all possible support.
Reservoir storage across the state stands at 209 TMC, compared with over 400 TMC at this time last year, he said. Describing the next eight months as critical, he called for water to be used sparingly until the next rains, with existing stocks reserved primarily for drinking water.
On power, the Chief Minister said consumption had surged owing to high temperatures, with daily demand about 5,000 MW above normal. He noted that electricity use at this level had never before been recorded in the month of October. The government, he said, is attempting to buy power from the market at whatever price is available and has requested additional allocations from the Centre.
Revanth Reddy also called on the Union government to support states affected by El Niño and to increase the states’ share in funds for centrally sponsored schemes.