Telangana CM likens El Nino impact to COVID-19 calamity; says next 8-10 months crucial

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy compared the impact of El Nino to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the next eight to ten months are crucial. Dried-up paddy crops in Pulkal mandal of Sangareddy district were seen due to deficit rainfall. The government has appealed to farmers to avoid water-intensive crops and irrigated dry crops to prevent losses.

Preliminary estimates suggest that over 13 lakh acres of crops are likely to be affected due to the water shortage. The reservoirs in Telangana currently hold only 209 tmcft of water, as compared to the normal availability of 450 tmcft last year. This has led to a record energy consumption of 20,003 MW, which is 6,000 MW more than the usual consumption of 14,000 MW.

Power shortages are also being felt, with neighboring Andhra Pradesh ready to purchase power at ₹15 a unit, but power is not available in the exchanges. The government has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to develop an action plan and seek Central government help in overcoming the adverse impact of the El Nino situation. The Chief Minister called for cooperation across all sections to tackle the calamity, likening it to a pandemic and appealing for help from the Central government.