Telangana CM Revanth to review El Nino impact, drought conditions on October 12

Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, popularly known as KCR, has scheduled a high‑level review of the El Niño‑related drought that has gripped large swathes of the state on Friday, 12 October. The meeting, to be chaired by the chief minister, will bring together senior officials from the departments of agriculture, water resources, horticulture, finance and disaster management, as well as representatives of the cabinet sub‑committee that was set up in June to devise a comprehensive drought‑mitigation action plan..

The agenda, sources said, includes a detailed appraisal of the meteorological data that indicate a prolonged deficit in monsoon rainfall, an assessment of groundwater levels across the critical zones of Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and Adilabad, and a review of the relief measures that have been rolled out since the onset of the crisis earlier this year.The sub‑committee, chaired by the minister for agriculture, has been tasked with formulating a multi‑pronged strategy that blends short‑term relief with long‑term resilience. Its draft report, which will be tabled at the review, outlines a suite of interventions ranging from targeted cash transfers to rain‑fed farmers, to the accelerated completion of micro‑irrigation projects under the state’s “Mission Bhagiratha” water supply scheme. It also recommends the deployment of satellite‑based soil moisture monitoring to fine‑tune the timing of irrigation schedules, a measure that experts say could shave up to 20 percent of water use in staple crops such as paddy and sorghum.The chief minister’s office has already earmarked ₹2.5 billion for immediate relief, a sum that will fund the distribution of food grains, dry rations and sanitary kits to over 1.2 million vulnerable households..

In parallel, the finance department is preparing an amendment to the state’s 2024‑25 budget to allocate an additional ₹6 billion for the expansion of borewell capacity and the refurbishment of existing check dams that have fallen into disrepair during the last two years of erratic rainfall. Officials anticipate that the new funds will enable the construction of 350 new water‑storage structures in the most affected mandals by the end of the fiscal year.Groundwater levels, which have been monitored by the Central Ground Water Board in collaboration with the state’s irrigation department, show a worrying decline of up to 25 percent in several districts compared with pre‑monsoon baselines. In Nizamabad, for instance, the water table in deep dug wells has dropped from an average of 12 metres to over 18 metres, rendering many private pumps inoperable..

The review will examine the feasibility of scaling up the recently launched “Jaladhaar” program, which subsidises the installation of solar‑powered pump sets, thereby reducing dependence on diesel generators that exacerbate both cost and carbon emissions.Agricultural output is expected to contract sharply if the drought persists. The state’s agricultural department estimates a potential 12‑15 percent dip in rice yields and a 9‑percent reduction in cotton output, figures that could translate into losses exceeding ₹12 billion for the 2024‑25 season. To mitigate the impact on farmers’ incomes, the sub‑committee’s proposal includes the extension of the existing loan waiver scheme by an additional six months and the introduction of a weather‑index insurance product that would trigger payouts automatically when rainfall falls below a predetermined threshold.The health ramifications of the water shortage have also been highlighted in the briefing documents..

Prolonged scarcity of clean drinking water has already led to a rise in water‑borne diseases in camps set up for displaced agricultural labourers. The health department plans to deploy mobile medical units equipped with rapid‑test kits for cholera and dysentery, and to launch a public‑awareness campaign on safe water storage practices. These measures are slated to be funded through the state’s disaster response fund, which has been replenished by a recent central government grant of ₹500 million.In the urban sphere, the capital city Hyderabad is witnessing an unprecedented strain on its municipal water supply..

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has reported a 30 percent drop in reservoir levels compared with the same period last year, prompting the activation of water‑rationing protocols that limit supply to eight hours per day in certain zones. The chief minister’s review will therefore also consider the coordination between rural and urban water management, exploring options such as inter‑basin water transfer and the expedited rollout of rainwater harvesting mandates for new residential projects.Stakeholders from the private sector have been invited to present proposals for public‑private partnerships aimed at augmenting the state’s water‑storage capacity. Several companies have expressed interest in financing the construction of modular, pre‑fabricated check dams, while a consortium of agritech firms is ready to pilot a precision‑farming platform that leverages artificial intelligence to predict crop stress and recommend adaptive interventions..

The chief minister, who has previously championed technology‑driven solutions, is expected to endorse at least two pilot projects during the meeting.Environmental NGOs, meanwhile, have urged the government to adopt a more holistic approach that includes afforestation and the restoration of degraded wetlands. A recent study by the Centre for Climate Change Studies in Hyderabad warned that the loss of forest cover in the Deccan plateau contributes to reduced evapotranspiration, thereby intensifying drought conditions. The sub‑committee’s draft already contains a clause for the planting of 5 million saplings over the next three years, but activists argue that the target is insufficient given the scale of ecological degradation.The upcoming review marks a critical juncture for Telangana, a state that has long prided itself on its proactive water‑management policies yet now faces a climatic challenge that tests the limits of existing infrastructure..

As El Niño’s influence is projected to linger into early 2025, the decisions taken on 12 October will shape not only the immediate relief for millions of drought‑hit residents but also the longer‑term trajectory of agricultural productivity, water security and climate resilience across the region. The chief minister’s commitment to a data‑driven, multi‑sectoral response signals a willingness to adapt policy frameworks to the evolving reality of climate‑induced water stress, a stance that will be closely watched by both national authorities and international observers monitoring India’s response to increasingly frequent extreme weather events..