Revanth requests farmers of Telangana to defer one crop

• This El Nino is unprecedented, worse than we have seen in decades; it has created immense pressure on water and power situation in state, says Chief Minister
• Farmers have always answered prayers of people; this time we will need their help in securing drinking water supply for Telangana, said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy
• Likening El Nino to Covid, he said the crisis demands that all people work together in unison
• Power situation is critical as we are seeing much higher demand than before, he said
• Save Water, Save Power is our magic mantra, he said

Hyderabad, October 15: “I request all my farmer brothers and sisters in Telangana to defer one crop this farming season. The next 9-10 months will be very difficult; we will have less water because of this unprecedented El Nino situation. Only then,” Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said, “would we be able to secure Telangana’s drinking water supply.” He was speaking on Thursday at a press conference at Secretariat after a meeting with Ministers on the El Nino and prevailing situation in the state.

“My dear people of Telangana. I am speaking to you today about El Nino. Because of global warming, this El Nino disaster is affecting the entire world. Scientists and other experts have been warning us about El Nino. Unfortunately, their worst predictions have come true. This year, El Nino is a global crisis much like Covid was in 2020. El Nino is a weather phenomenon affecting every single human being on the planet, directly or indirectly. Some people are calling this the ‘Super El Nino’ as it is worse than what we’ve seen since 1950,” the Chief Minister said.

He noted that United Nations had noted that El Nino would affect people in 100 countries, affecting nearly a hundred crore people directly and indirectly.

“We have had some indication that the rains would be deficient this season. This is why we had requested farmers to avoid planting paddy. Farmers of over 13 lakh acres heeded to our request. About 53 lakh acres were planted with paddy by others,” he said. He implored on the farming community that paddy is a water-intensive crop and the state’s water situation isn’t conducive to farming it in the next 8-10 months, he said.

“Today, reservoirs are not in good shape. In Krishna basin reservoirs, we have 72% less water than we did last year at the same time. In Godavari, this number is 42%. No reservoir has enough water to supply both drinking and farming needs. Usually, at this time in a typical year, we have 462 TMC of water across all reservoirs. Today, we have only 200 TMC. This is an unprecedented moment of crisis for all of us,” he said.

Chief Minister Reddy also spoke of the power consumption and generation situation in the state. He noted that demand for power had grown up astronomically in past few years. “Generally, in October the daily power consumption is around 15,000 MW. However, as of now, the consumption is upwards of 20,000 MW, almost a 33% jump than average,” he said.

He commended Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for his department’s work in supplying power in such a situation through adept planning. However, he continued, there still exists a paucity of energy in the country. “Several other states such as Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala also have a power problem. There isn’t any power to buy,” he said.

“When a natural disaster strikes us, it is everyone’s duty to come together. We have to think beyond politics and join our hands on mission mode so no one is left behind. So, we can take care of everyone. Save Water, Save Power. This is our magic mantra,” he said.

“In Covid, we had masks, lockdowns and social distancing until we got vaccines. Just like that, we have to follow the ‘Save Water, Save Power’ mantra till it rains again in July 2027,” he said.

“As Chief Minister of Telangana, I appeal to the people today — be part of this mission. Let us get out of this together,” Chief Minister Reddy said.

He appreciated the farmers of the country for their role in developing India, especially after Independence. “Dear farmers, you are the backbone of Indian society. In 1947, when the entire country was getting ready for famine and food shortage, we looked to you to save us, to pull off a miracle. You did exactly that. You worked tirelessly and worked hard, day and night, summer and winter, under burning sun and under rains, to grow food. You saved us. In every moment of crisis, farmers have never said no to society’s requests,” he said.

He requested the community to defer planting in the coming farming season. “If farmers sow at a time of water shortage, they might face severe losses and also affect the drinking water situation. My dear farmers, you have given us food whenever we have needed and asked for it. Now we are asking you for water as well,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that agricultural labourers who would be impacted by this would be compensated through VB-G RAM G. “Through VB-G RAM G, we will focus on irrigation and nala work, so when the rains come, we will be better equipped to deal with this problem if it ever comes again,” he said.

“I request everybody in our cities and towns to save water. Join this movement. Every drop equals a life. Water is the most precious resource on Earth. It cannot be manufactured in a factory. The way through this crisis is to save it. Do anything you can to save water,” he said.

“My dear friends, I also give you a word of caution. There will be a lot of fearmongering on social media, lots of fake news about what’s going on. To address that, I am appointing K. Ramakrishna Rao, the state’s former Chief Secretary and currently Advisor to Government of Telangana, as a nodal officer for all information on El Nino. We will also have a special group of ministers. After Dasara, under the Deputy Chief Minister, we will also conduct an all-party meeting on this subject and decide the way forward,” he said.

“This war room will manage, track, optimize water supply for every citizen. We will soon release toll-free numbers that citizens can call for information. I have instructed all ministers to focus on directly communicating with you, and inform you on steps being taken,” he said.

“Today, all parties have to come together and work in unison. We all listened to Central government and did whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked us to do. Similarly, we all have to put our differences aside. I also request my journalist friends to help spread awareness and right information to the public,” he said.