Telangana CM orders round-the-clock power supply to agriculture, warns officials of suspension
At a high-level review meeting with senior officials on rainfall deficiency, the impact of El Niño, and the status of electricity and drinking water supply, the Chief Minister expressed strong displeasure over recurring power outages and questioned the failure to improve supply despite repeated instructions.
The Chief Minister stressed that farmers should not suffer crop losses due to power shortages and directed officials to identify areas with high agricultural power demand and increase supply accordingly.
He instructed the department to maintain uninterrupted supply until the harvest is completed.
Revanth Reddy also questioned why power generation had not been increased in line with rising demand and why the Yadadri power plant was not operating at its full installed capacity despite arrangements for coal linkages from Naini and Mahanadi.
“I am accountable to the people. The situation has not changed despite my repeated instructions to supply electricity to protect the standing crops. I will not tolerate actions that cause hardship to the public, and I will not spare anyone found acting negligently,” he said.
The Chief Minister warned that the Special Chief Secretary of the Energy Department, the TG-GENCO CMD and other concerned IAS officers could face suspension if they failed to ensure adequate power supply.
El Niño preparedness plan until June
Describing the potential impact of El Niño as a disaster comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Minister cautioned that the situation could escalate into a major crisis if the government failed to take timely preventive measures.
He directed every department to formulate a robust action plan extending until June, assess the likely impact of El Niño within its jurisdiction and coordinate efforts to minimise public hardship until normal rainfall resumes.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the duration of the prevailing conditions remained uncertain and called for advance planning to address the challenges arising from rainfall deficiency.
Measures to prevent drinking water, fodder shortages
The Chief Minister directed officials to make advance arrangements to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply across the state and prevent shortages during the period of deficient rainfall.
He also instructed officials to explore the use of treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs) for construction and other suitable requirements within the Greater Hyderabad area.
Special measures should be taken to protect livestock from the impact of El Niño, with advance arrangements to ensure adequate availability of cattle fodder, he said.
Special monitoring teams for every mandal
As part of the preparedness measures, the Chief Minister ordered the appointment of Group-I and Group-II officers to monitor the situation in every mandal.
The officers will track rainfall deficiency, electricity and drinking water supply, crop conditions and cattle fodder availability at the field level. A mechanism should be established to ensure that regular reports on the situation in each mandal reach the Chief Secretary.
Gram Sabhas, cultural programmes to create awareness
Revanth Reddy also called for a statewide awareness campaign to educate people about El Niño, its possible consequences and the need for water and electricity conservation.
He directed officials to organise Gram Sabhas between Dussehra and Diwali and use cultural troupes to explain the potential impact of El Niño and the precautions people should take.
The campaign should reach people from villages to the state level, with all departments working in coordination to ensure that the public faces minimal hardship until normal rainfall returns, he added.
TNT TS
