As severe power and drinking water shortage is staring at Telangana, the state government has asked the farming community to brace up for drought-like situation this summer due to deficit rainfall.
An official release from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said the demand for power peaked up to 298.19 million units on Wednesday, the highest this year and the state power distribution companies (Discoms) were able to meet the requirement.
“It was a new record in electricity supply. The northern and southern Discoms registered the highest ever supply of 298.19 million units of power on a single day on Wednesday. This surpassed the previous record of 297.89 million units of power supplied on March 14 last year,” an official release said.
A senior official in Telangana power transmission corporation (TS Transco) said the high demand for power was mainly on account of peak agricultural operations during the ongoing Rabi season and also increasing demand from the domestic consumers due to rising temperatures.
“The power supplying companies have already made elaborate arrangements to meet the increasing power demand during February and March. But the hard days are ahead in the next two months,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}“The power supplying companies have already made elaborate arrangements to meet the increasing power demand during February and March. But the hard days are ahead in the next two months,” the official said.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, chief minister A Revanth Reddy indicated the possibility of drought in the coming days. “A drought-like situation is prevailing in the state at present. Due to deficit rainfall this year, water levels in the reservoirs are depleted and hence a severe water crisis is looming large in the state,” the chief minister said, while launching a ‘Rythu Nestham’ (friend of farmer) programme through video conference from his residence on Wednesday.
Revanth Reddy said that farmers and political leaders of Karimnagar, Khammam, Nalgonda and Mahabubnagar districts were demanding release of water from the irrigation reservoirs. He appealed to all the farmers to understand the present situation but assured that the state government would extend support to the farmers in the difficult drought conditions.
He said the state government was already making required arrangements to solve the drinking water crisis in the ensuing summer amid the water crisis.
According to the official figures available till 4 pm on Thursday, the water availability in all major reservoirs that provide irrigation to Telangana and drinking water supply to Hyderabad is at alarming level.
In five major reservoirs of Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, Singur, Manjira and Akkampally reservoirs in Krishna and Godavari basin that supply drinking water to Hyderabad, the total water availability is 27.508 tmc (thousand million cubic feet) as against the full tank level capacity of 39.783 tmc. This day last year, the water availability in these reservoirs was 29.712 tmc.
In Nagarjunasagar reservoir, which is the major source of irrigation in Krishna basin, the present water level is 514.90 ft, as against the FRL of 590 ft; and the water availability is 140 tmc as against total capacity of 312.04 tmc. Last year, the water availability in Nagarjunasagar reservoir on this day was 195 tmc.
In Srisailam, the present water level is 813.2 feet, as against the FRL of 885 ft and the water availability is 36.24 tmc as against the total capacity of 215.8 tmc. Last year, the water availability on this day in Srisailam was 42.10 tmc.
In Godavari basin, the present water level in Sripadasagar was 471.34 ft, while the FRL is 485.56 ft and the water availability is 10 tmc as against the total availability of 20.1 tmc. Last year, the water availability in Sripadasagar project was 17.53 ft, due to pumping from Kaleshwaram project.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and lawmaker K T Rama Rao on Thursday lashed out at the Congress government for throwing up its hands on water management, blaming it on drought.
“According to IMD figures, Telangana received 14% excess rainfall during 2023-24, compared to normal. Instead of resolving the water crisis, it is surprising that the chief minister is talking about deficit rainfall and drought,” he said.
KTR said the people of Telangana were angry with the Congress which came to power with false promises. “Instead of assuring the farmers that he would resolve the problems of farmers, Revanth Reddy appeals to them to understand the situation. What should they understand? Your incapability?” the BRS leader tweeted.