Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, June 1, directed officials to prepare an action plan for Telangana to secure its share of Krishna and Godavari river waters on a pro-rata basis, in view of the forecast of inadequate rainfall during the upcoming monsoon due to the impact of El Niño this year.
Holding a review meeting on monsoon preparedness, Reddy also said the state government would urge the Centre to allocate the entire quantity of urea produced at the Ramagundam fertiliser plant to Telangana.
He warned that the state could face difficulties if the practice of upper riparian states releasing water only after filling their reservoirs continues, and asked officials to hold discussions with Maharashtra and Karnataka to ensure Telangana receives its rightful share of inter-state river waters on a pro-rata basis, an official release said.
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Officials made a presentation to the CM on El Niño, a weather phenomenon linked to the warming of the Pacific Ocean.
Observing that Maharashtra is using water from the Koyna Dam for hydel power generation, he directed officials to explore whether Telangana could utilise the water in exchange for supplying power.
He instructed officials to frame a policy to divert floodwaters from the Godavari and Pranahita rivers, noting that large volumes of water currently flow into the sea every year.
On power sharing, Reddy asked energy officials to prepare a report on securing Telangana’s share in electricity generated at the Sileru and Tungabhadra projects, which were established during the undivided Andhra Pradesh era.
He suggested promoting crop diversification and educating farmers on less water-intensive crops.
The CM said the government would write to the Centre seeking full allocation of urea produced at the Ramagundam plant, located in Peddapalli district.
Turning to urban preparedness, Reddy directed officials to take measures to prevent water stagnation during the monsoon in the three municipal corporations of Greater Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri.
He instructed them to ensure an uninterrupted drinking water supply even in the event of deficient rainfall.
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He ordered that the Rs 1,000 crore available with the disaster response department be utilised strictly as per norms, and stressed the need for swift action during disasters to minimise loss of life, livestock, and property.
The CM further directed officials to complete maintenance of project gates and other critical infrastructure on a war footing.
Finally, he asked departments to submit reports on the implementation of assurances given during his visits to flood-affected districts of Kamareddy, Khammam, and Warangal last year.
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