Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to supply electricity round-the-clock to prevent farmers' crops from withering in view of drought conditions in the state. He emphasized that there should be no power cuts until the crops are harvested. Warning that the next 20 days are extremely crucial for the crops, he stated that farmers should not suffer crop losses due to power shortages under any circumstances. He instructed officials to identify areas with high agricultural power demand and increase supply accordingly.
喜び (The CM reviewed the drought conditions in the state, the impact of El Nino, and the supply of electricity and drinking water with top officials. Officials explained the current situation district-wise to the Chief Minister. On this occasion, the Chief Minister expressed severe anger over power outages in several parts of the state. He questioned officials as to why there was no change in the situation despite giving multiple instructions to ensure smooth power supply. He asked why steps were not being taken to increase production even though there was a risk of power shortages in the coming days. He inquired why full capacity production was not taking place at the Yadadri power plant even though coal supply linkages from Naini and Mahanadi had been arranged.
"I am the one who has to be accountable to the people. No matter how many times I said to supply the necessary electricity to save farmers' crops, the situation has not changed. Actions that cause trouble to the people will not be tolerated. No one will be spared if they act negligently," the Chief Minister warned sternly. He expressed fury, stating that if necessary, he would suspend the Special CS of the Energy Department, the Genco CMD, and the IAS officers of the concerned departments. He warned officials not to give a new excuse every day for power interruptions.
*El Nino is a disaster like Covid*
Directing all government departments to be vigilant, the Chief Minister ordered that the conditions created in the state due to the impact of El Nino be treated as a Covid-like disaster. He warned that conditions currently appearing as normal problems could turn into a severe crisis if advance measures are not taken. "El Nino is a disaster like Covid. No one knows how long this situation will persist. It appears as a problem now. If we are not alert, it will turn into a crisis. Officials of all departments should deeply assess the impact of El Nino within their purview. They must identify solutions to overcome the problems and take immediate action," the Chief Minister stressed.
Stating that it is impossible to say how long these conditions will last, he said the government must take all measures to prevent inconvenience to the people until rains arrive again. He directed every department to formulate a foolproof action plan until next June. He advised all divisions to anticipate the upcoming crisis and work in coordination.
Measures to prevent difficulties regarding drinking water and fodder
The Chief Minister directed that foolproof arrangements be made to prevent drinking water problems for the people during drought conditions. He suggested drafting advance plans to ensure smooth drinking water supply across the state. He said measures should be taken to utilize treated water from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for construction and other requirements within the Greater Hyderabad limits. He instructed officials to take special measures so that cattle do not suffer due to the impact of El Nino and to make advance arrangements to prevent any shortage of fodder.
Special monitoring officers for every mandal
To monitor the impact of El Nino at the field level, the Chief Minister ordered the appointment of Group-1 and Group-2 level officers for every mandal. He instructed that they be entrusted with the responsibilities of continuously monitoring drought conditions, electricity and drinking water supply, crops, and fodder in their respective mandals. He ordered arrangements to be made to report the conditions in the respective mandals to the Chief Secretary (CS) from time to time.
Public awareness through gram sabhas and cultural troupes
Pointing out that El Nino is a disaster, the Chief Minister suggested creating widespread awareness among the public about its impact and upcoming crisis conditions. He ordered steps to be taken to conduct gram sabhas across the state from after Dasara until Diwali. He suggested explaining the impact of El Nino to the people through cultural troupes and spreading awareness on water and power conservation as well as precautions to be taken to face upcoming conditions. He instructed that the severity of this disaster be explained to all sections of the people from the village level to the state level. The Chief Minister emphasized that all departments must work in coordination to prevent any inconvenience to the public until rains return.
