El Nino Threat - Build Coffer Dam at Medigadda, Pump Water: Vinod

HYDERABAD: Senior BRS leader B. Vinod, former vice chairman of the state planning commission, on Friday accused the state government of taking its eyes off the threat posed to Telangana by El Nino, and the prospect of a poor monsoon.

Vinod Kumar, addressing a press conference, said the Centre on Thursday had sent a message to all state governments on the El Nino impact, and advised that available water be used carefully and sparingly. “The El Nino is going to create a disastrous situation, and even the summer next year will be severe. The state government does not seem to be taking this seriously. Instead of focusing on El Nino, the ministers are busy throwing challenges and staging dramas,” Vinod said.

He said the “malicious intention” of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to not repair Kaleshwaram project’s Medigadda barrage on the Godavari was resulting in 15,000 cusecs of water flowing waste. “By tomorrow the flow is expected to rise to 45,000 cusecs as per the Central Water Commission which means Telangana will be losing around 4 tmc ft of water in a single day from Medigadda, water that could have been pumped had the Congress government repaired the barrage,” he said.

“The barrage was not repaired only to defame KCR,” he claimed. “At least because of the El Nino impact, Revanth Reddy should wake up.” He demanded that a coffer dam be built at Medigadda and water pumped from there to the rest of the state.