Hyderabad, Sept. 18: Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy warned that El Niño conditions are putting pressure on the state’s water resources.
Uttam Kumar Reddy raised the issue during a short discussion in the Telangana Legislative Assembly on Friday.
He said delayed rainfall and longer gaps between rain spells were affecting reservoirs and ponds.
According to the minister, the situation is putting pressure on agriculture, the rural economy and drinking water security.
El Nino Impact Raises Telangana Water Concerns
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the shortage of rain during the sowing period could have serious consequences for farmers.
He said the impact could affect farmers’ investments, debts and family livelihoods.
The minister called for a discussion based on statistics and scientific evidence instead of political allegations.
He said live storage in major and medium irrigation projects in the Krishna basin stood at about 333 TMC at the same time last year.
This year, the live storage has fallen to around 160 TMC, according to the figures cited by him.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the decline could affect both irrigation water for farmers and drinking water supplies.
He said the government needs advance planning to balance drinking water, irrigation and power requirements.
The Telangana government has previously expressed concern over rainfall conditions linked to El Niño and stressed the need to protect drinking water supplies.
The Irrigation and CAD Department also monitors water resources and collects project data for assessing the status of irrigation projects across the state.
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