CM Asks Officials To Ensure Water Supply For Drinking, Cultivation
At the Cabinet meeting here on Thursday, Naidu wanted ministers and officials to help prevent hardships caused by shortage of potable water and ensure that not even a single acre of crop is lost in the state.
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to prepare plans and ensure water supply for both drinking and cultivation in view of the El Nino effect and the 52 per cent deficit rainfall.
At the Cabinet meeting here on Thursday, Naidu wanted ministers and officials to help prevent hardships caused by shortage of potable water and ensure that not even a single acre of crop is lost in the state.
He called for awareness programmes for farmers on raising irrigated dry crops to optimise water use and said officials must explain the need to shift from regular crops to alternatives based on water availability.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to prepare 90,000 kg of irrigated dry crop seeds for distribution to farmers and approved `90 crore as seed subsidy.
He also stressed the need to address fodder shortages and called for raising fodder with the partnership of the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin).
He directed officials to protect horticulture crops by filling tanks through diversion of canal water and extend support to farmers to adopt drip irrigation.
Naidu called for involving teaching faculty from agricultural universities in awareness programmes on raising crops with less water and improving farm returns. He also asked them to motivate farmers to take up alternative crops instead of paddy that consumes more water.
Officials, he said, must prepare plans to ensure potable water supply, including digging borewells wherever possible and supplying water through tankers. They must write to the Centre explaining the situation in the state due to the El Nino effect and seek support.
The Chief Minister said efforts would be made with the Centre to secure more drought funds for the state. He said Andhra Pradesh had 14,829 habitations and asked officials to prepare habitation-wise proposals to ensure potable water supply.
Information minister Kolusu Parthasarathy briefed the media on the Cabinet meeting.