Ponguleti Asks Farmers Not to Invite Troubles by Taking Second Crop Cultivation
Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Sunday advised farmers against taking up a second crop this year in view of adverse weather conditions attributed to El Nino and declining water levels in irrigation projects and reservoirs.
Nalgonda: Revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Sunday advised farmers against taking up a second crop this year in view of adverse weather conditions attributed to El Nino and declining water levels in irrigation projects and reservoirs.
The minister said water levels in irrigation projects and reservoirs had reached a critical stage and urged farmers and the public to remain cautious.
Speaking after distributing Kalyana Lakshmi cheques to beneficiaries at his camp office in Kusumanchi, Khammam district, Srinivas Reddy said the state government was making every effort to protect the first crop, for which farmers had undertaken cultivation.
He advised farmers to follow government advisories and avoid sowing a second crop, warning that inadequate water availability could lead to crop failure and financial losses.
Expressing concern over the shortage of electricity, the minister said power, which was earlier available at `7 to `8 per unit, was now difficult to procure even at `15 per unit across the country.
He directed officials to take immediate measures to prevent drinking water shortages in the coming months in view of declining groundwater levels and reduced storage in reservoirs.
The minister said a Cabinet delegation led by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would visit New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers to explain the prevailing situation in Telangana.
The delegation would seek a special financial assistance package from the Centre and an increase in the number of workdays for job cardholders under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin (VB-G RAM G).
Later, Srinivas Reddy laid the foundation stone for the Mangali Thanda-Dubba Thanda blacktop road, to be constructed at a cost of `.63 crore from Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) funds.
He also launched works on an overhead water tank and pipeline project at Jujjul Ravupeta, estimated to cost `45 lakh, and inaugurated a new gram panchayat office building at Mangali Thanda, constructed at a cost of `20 lakh.
District collector Diwakar T.S., Congress leaders and elected representatives of local bodies attended the programmes.