Hyderabad: At a district-level review meeting on the impacts of El Niño and measures to minimise maximum damage, Hyderabad officials were strictly directed to ensure smooth drinking water supply and uninterrupted electricity.
Chaired by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar at the Praja Bhavan on Monday, July 20, the meeting focused on preventing water wastage, ways to quickly restore electricity in the event of outages, and intensifying awareness campaigns.
He directed departments to identify vulnerable areas across the city and educate people on the benefits of rainwater harvesting pits and groundwater conservation.
Telangana is currently reeling under a 42 per cent rainfall deficit.
The meeting was attended by senior administrative officers. Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) Managing Director Ashok Reddy reviewed water availability in Singur, Manjira, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Nagarjuna Sagar and the Sripada Yellampalli Project. He said contingency plans had been prepared to divert water from surplus areas to deficit regions, undertake borewell and pipeline repairs and ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply.
Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) Chairman and Managing Director Jitesh Patil said if consumers reduce power usage between 4.30 am and 6.30 am and 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm, it will help maintain grid stability.
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Commissioner RV Karnan said comprehensive arrangements for drinking water management, sanitation, urban flooding, traffic regulation and public health are in place. He said special drives were underway to prevent dengue, malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, while disaster response teams remained on alert.
Officials from the Groundwater Department said groundwater levels were being monitored mandal-wise and announced the formation of a District Groundwater Task Force to strengthen conservation efforts. They also said implementation of the WALTA Act, regulation of groundwater extraction and rainwater harvesting measures were being intensified.
District Medical and Health Officer Dr P Srinivas said surveillance for dengue, malaria and seasonal diseases had been intensified in coordination with GHMC. Civil Supplies officials said adequate buffer stocks of essential commodities had been maintained to ensure uninterrupted public distribution.
Hyderabad Collector Dr Priyanka Ala said the suggestions made by ministers, legislators and officials would be incorporated into a comprehensive District Contingency Action Plan.
This post was last modified on July 20, 2026 9:04 pm