Hyderabad: Telangana is drawing up a coordinated strategy to shield farmers, drinking water supplies and the power grid from the fallout of El Niño, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said on Tuesday, July 21, as the state pushes awareness of the phenomenon down to the village level.
Vikramarka was speaking at a state-level seminar titled “From Pacific Ocean Warming to Telangana Preparedness,” organised by the Planning Department at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad. Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin also attended.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government’s approach goes beyond administrative decisions and aims to make every family and village aware of how El Niño could affect them so that they can plan accordingly. Scientific studies are underway to map how temperature shifts in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, thousands of kilometres away, could affect tanks, streams and villages across Telangana, he said, adding that the resulting data is feeding into action plans covering drinking water, irrigation, and food and water needs for livestock, birds and wildlife.
To cushion farmers against financial losses from drought-like conditions, the government is promoting alternative, less water-intensive crop patterns based on expert advice, he said. He also thanked television channels for carrying such advisories to rural households.
On the power front, Vikramarka said the government is working on efficient energy management to handle rising demand linked to El Niño. He pointed to increased daytime use of low-cost solar power to ease the financial strain on the government and consumers, alongside systematic use of thermal power for later demand, as key to maintaining grid stability.
He noted that electricity demand typically dips during the monsoon, but this year Telangana’s consumption has climbed to levels usually seen in peak summer months such as April, driven by heavier use of fans, air conditioners, lights, borewells and lift irrigation motors through the day and night. He attributed the shift to changing global seasonal patterns and said Telangana was ahead of the curve in planning for it.
Vikramarka commended the Planning Department for organising the seminar and praised coordination among the Agriculture, Energy, Irrigation and Groundwater departments. He directed officials to hold similar awareness seminars at the district level to widen public participation.
