Between Floods and Dry Spells: Telangana’s Race to Prepare for a Tough Monsoon
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday directed officials to prepare for a challenging monsoon season amid forecasts of erratic weather linked to a possible El Niño effect. He asked departments to be ready for both drought-like conditions and sudden flash floods.
Chairing a high-level monsoon preparedness meeting attended by senior bureaucrats, police officials and civic authorities, the Chief Minister said safeguarding Telangana’s water resources, protecting agricultural output and ensuring urban infrastructure resilience would be the state’s key priorities.
Water-sharing strategy
With below-normal rainfall predicted in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, Revanth Reddy warned that upstream states could retain river waters until their reservoirs reach adequate levels.
He directed the Irrigation Department to begin discussions with neighbouring states and work towards a dam-wise pro-rata water-sharing arrangement in the Krishna and Godavari river basins.
In a significant proposal, the Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to initiate talks with Maharashtra on an energy-for-water arrangement. Under the proposal, Telangana would supply an equivalent quantity of electricity in return for full access to water from the Koyna Dam, which Maharashtra currently uses for hydropower generation.
The Energy Department was also instructed to submit a report on Telangana’s entitlement to power generated from the Sileru and Tungabhadra projects, which date back to the undivided Andhra Pradesh period.
The Chief Minister further called for a long-term policy to capture and store floodwaters from the Godavari and Pranahita rivers before they flow into the sea.
Focus on dam safety
Referring to heavy inflows that threatened the Kadem project during the previous monsoon, Revanth Reddy stressed the need for immediate repairs and maintenance of dam gates across the state.
The Finance Department informed the meeting that ₹300 crore has already been released for repair works. The Chief Minister directed officials to complete all maintenance before the onset of heavy rains.
He warned that any structural failure resulting from negligence or poor maintenance would invite disciplinary action against responsible officials.
Agriculture preparedness
To minimise the impact of climate-related disruptions on farming, the Agriculture Department was directed to align advisories with real-time forecasts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Agricultural officers will intensify awareness campaigns through Rythu Vedikas, promoting crop diversification, crop rotation and water-efficient varieties.
The Chief Minister also instructed officials to create Artificial Intelligence-generated awareness videos and screen them at rural centres and on television channels to help farmers understand weather-related risks and appropriate farming practices.
The state government will seek allocation of the entire urea production from the Ramagundam fertiliser plant for Telangana farmers during the upcoming agricultural season.
Urban flood management
Officials presented plans to tackle urban flooding in Hyderabad and surrounding areas.
The civic administration has identified 141 recurring waterlogging locations where rainwater harvesting wells will be constructed. Senior IAS officer Jayesh Ranjan will monitor progress. Officials informed the meeting that 11 wells are operational and work is under way at the remaining sites.
While civic authorities said drinking water reserves remain adequate, the Chief Minister sought contingency plans to address possible shortages in Hyderabad and rural districts if dry conditions persist.
Emergency response and accountability
The Disaster Management Department informed the meeting that a corpus of ₹1,000 crore has been kept ready for emergency relief and restoration work. The funds will be used for rebuilding damaged roads, bridges and other public infrastructure following natural disasters.
Revanth Reddy directed officials to ensure immediate filing of First Information Reports (FIRs) in cases involving loss of life, livestock or property due to floods, heatwaves or other natural calamities. He said this would help expedite compensation to affected families.
The Chief Minister also ordered a review of welfare assurances announced during his visits to flood-affected areas in Kamareddy, Khammam and Warangal districts last year. Officials found responsible for delays in implementing those commitments would face disciplinary action.
He said effective disaster management requires coordinated action by the Revenue, Police, Health, Energy and Panchayati Raj departments from the State Secretariat to the mandal level.
