Hyderabad: The state government on Monday, October 19, announced a six-member sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu to tackle the impact of El Nino in Telangana.
Members include Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Minister of Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao, Minister of Women and Child Welfare Dasari Anasuya and Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Vakiti Srihar.
The sub-committee will chalk out measures to provide drinking water supply to urban and rural Telangana. Priority will be given to constructing and maintaining percolation pits, ponds and seepage ponds to conserve rainwater.
Recently, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy described El Nino as a “natural disaster”, agreeing that the state’s reservoirs were facing a severe water shortage. He said the water levels in the Krishna basin were lower by 72 per cent and by 40 per cent in the Godavari basin.
He quoted reports saying about 10 lakh acre crops are at high risk of being damaged, and officials have been asked to take all measures to prevent the disaster. “The government will hold an all-party meeting after Dasara to seek suggestions on tackling the El Nino impact,” he had said.
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