MP Urges Water Conservation Amid El Nino Conditions
Nizamabad faces drought concerns as reservoir levels fall, prompting officials to prioritise drinking water and promote less water-intensive crops.
Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind has urged people and farmers to conserve water in view of the drought conditions expected due to the El Nino phenomenon. He also directed officials to expedite the construction of the Madhavanagar and Arsapally railway overbridges (ROBs) and make them available to the public within the next four to five months.
Addressing a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) at the Integrated District Offices Complex here on Saturday, Arvind reviewed the progress of various welfare and development programmes being implemented with Central government funds.
Nizamabad Urban MLA Dhanpal Suryanarayana Gupta, Armoor MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy, collector Ila Tripathi, mayor K. Uma Rani and National Turmeric Board chairman Palle Gangareddy attended the meeting.
Expressing displeasure over delays in the construction of the two ROBs, Arvind asked Roads and Buildings and Railway officials to ensure uninterrupted progress in line with the stipulated milestones. He warned against any further extension of deadlines.
The MP also reviewed the implementation of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships sanctioned by the Centre for SC, ST and BC students. Officials informed him that the scholarship amounts had been credited directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Arvind welcomed the selection of Nizamabad as the venue for the national-level Khelo India Table Tennis Championships scheduled for December.
Collector Ila Tripathi said the district administration had prepared an alternative action plan to address the likely impact of El Nino. While favourable weather conditions had helped farmers overcome difficulties during the kharif season, irrigation water would not be available for yasangi crops, she said, adding that the government had taken a clear decision on the matter.
The government had declared normal drought conditions in all 18 mandals of the district. Farmers were being encouraged through Rythu Vedikas to cultivate alternative crops requiring less water, such as jowar and pulses, instead of paddy. Subsidised seeds were also being supplied, with Nizamabad recording the highest distribution in the state, she said.
Tripathi said the administration had decided to reserve the available reservoir water exclusively for drinking purposes, as rainfall was unlikely until June or July next year due to El Nino conditions. She said water storage in the Sriram Sagar Project had fallen to 35 TMC ft of water from 80 TMC ft during the corresponding period last year.
Additional collectors B. Raja Goud and V. Bhujangarao, DRO B. Geetha, Nizamabad RDO Rajendra Kumar, officials from various departments and DISHA committee members attended the meeting.