Fill Reservoirs And Tanks With Available Rainwater Flows: Chandrababu

During a review meeting with senior officials at the Real-Time Governance (RTGS) Centre today, the Chief Minister discussed the use of AI-based technology, data analytics, strategies to mitigate the impact of El Niño and the overall impact of rainfall across the State.

The Officials informed the Chief Minister that groundwater levels had improved to some extent due to the rains received over the past three days following the severe depression. Around 11,000 cusecs of water was flowing into the Prakasam Barrage from the Munneru and other catchment areas.The Chief Minister instructed officials to utilise the flows from the Godavari to fill the Yeleru Reservoir with 24 TMC of water.

Water should also be supplied through the Polavaram Left Canal to water bodies up to Anakapalli, he said.Officials said heavy rainfall had been recorded in 16 districts, with Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Manyam, Kakinada, the Godavari districts, Eluru, Krishna and NTR districts among those experiencing significant impact.

The Chief Minister reviewed the ongoing rainfall, wind intensity, rising flows in rivers and streams, inflows into reservoirs and the rainfall forecast for the coming days. He directed the administration to remain alert, continuously monitor the latest situation and take advance precautionary measures wherever required. The government expects heavy inflows into reservoirs in the Godavari basin, including Sabari, Indravati, Yeleru, Tandava, Yerrakalva, Pampa and Meghadrigadda, due to the continuing rains.

Inflows into Yeleru Reservoir are expected to reach 21,200–26,500 cusecs, Tandava 6,000–7,500 cusecs, Meghadrigadda 2,400–3,000 cusecs and Pampa 3,100–3,875 cusecs.Officials said inflows into reservoirs in North Coastal Andhra are also expected to increase significantly in the coming days. Flows in the Nagavali and Vamsadhara basins are likely to rise due to the rainfall.Officials estimated that Gotta Barrage could reach Warning Level-I by the morning of September 25.

At Bhadrachalam, Warning Level-I is likely to be reached by the afternoon of September 26 and Warning Level-II by that night.At Dowleswaram Barrage, Warning Level-I is expected by the morning of September 27 and Warning Level-II by the evening. At Kuntha on the Sabari River, the warning level is likely to be reached by the morning of September 26, officials informed the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister said that while climatic conditions such as El Niño cannot be changed, internal conditions can be improved to reduce their impact.He said the impact of El Niño could be mitigated to some extent by improving soil health, recommending alternative crops based on soil testing, and promoting practices such as biochar and natural farming. He directed officials to implement these measures on a pilot basis in the State.

The Chief Minister called for the use of technology to forecast the impact of El Niño in advance and provide necessary advisories to the agriculture sector.

The Chief Minister said the foundation stone for the Indian School of Agriculture would be laid on October 2, along with the launch of the programme to develop Rayalaseema as a horticulture hub. He also examined applications developed by Prithvi, a young man based in the United States, as part of the Swarna Andhra–Swachha Andhra initiatives, including groundwater-related activities.The Chief Minister appreciated Prithvi for developing the applications by integrating datasets collected from various government departments with NASA satellite imagery. He said analysing groundwater levels, changes and region-wise conditions would help the government take better decisions on water management in the future.

He directed officials to further improve infrastructure in schools.He said that despite no increase in electricity tariffs, public satisfaction was declining due to deficiencies in services and stressed the need to focus on the quality of power supply. With electricity consumption in the State standing at 287.214 million units, he directed officials to also focus on the availability of water required for power generation.

Chandrababu Naidu directed the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) to prepare an annual sports calendar. He called for sports competitions to be organised not only in urban areas but also at the village level. As part of data-driven governance, he directed officials to further expand the use of AI Living Labs applications and data analytics across government departments.