El Nino to Get Worse, No Water, 50 degree C Temperature

Hyderabad: Drinking water shortages likely. No irrigation for crops whatsoever. Likelihood of power shortages. Temperatures likely to hit skin searing 50 degrees Celsius. Drought war-rooms to be set up at the state and district level. A “very critical” situation.

These were among the extremely worrying messages from the government which on Monday minced no words, and laid out what is wan store for the state over the next 10 months and more.

In what was the first realistic assessment of this year’s El Nino’s impact, the government, while painting a grim picture, tried to assure people that it was doing everything it could to mitigate the global weather crisis. The forecast of difficult times came during the weekly Rythu Nestham online video interaction that stretched to a little over three hours,

Declaring that there was no option other than being prepared, and act accordingly, agriculture minister Tumnmala Nageswara Rao said “We struggle during 40 to 45 degrees, but there is a likelihood of temperatures rising to 50 degrees Celsius. Every drop of water must be used carefully, even trees and horticulture crops may suffer,” he said.

He did not stop there. “We need not be surprised even if there are no rain till today’s date next year. I am not saying this, global scientists are saying this,” he said.

“El Nino is a global crisis. This will be scary and may cause fear. But that is not what this is about. This is all about being prepared and face the conditions, that include possible dangers even to drinking water supplies, and ground water levels are falling by nearly three feet a day and borewells face the danger of drying up,” he said.

Just how seriously the government was taking the drought conditions was demonstrated during the programme, which was also addressed by Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, top bureaucrats of various departments, district collectors, officials from the IMD, and top administrators of the state’s agriculture, and horticulture universities among others.

Jaju too minced no words declaring the current status as a “very critical situation.”

He assured that the government is taking all required steps to mitigate the problems that are arising, but the seriousness of the current situation was difficult to escape.

All of the state’s reservoirs, between them, currently have just about 50 per cent of what they normally hold at this point of the year. “All available water is from now on only for drinking water requirements of the people, and livestock. There is just about enough water for the next 10 months,” he said.

Jaju also touched upon the prospects for Hyderabad, which he said houses around 30 per cent of the state’s population, with regard to drinking water supplies “There may be major deficits without contingency plans,” he said, adding: “We cannot give water to the people without such plans.”

Electricity supply too is expected to come under stress, as there are nationwide power deficits. There is no power available to buy. “Our generating systems must be used optimally, but some difficulties are expected, and the government will try to meet power situation without any problems,” he said.

Jaju said that the government is preparing a memorandum on the drought situation which will soon be sent to the Centre seeking resources under disaster management, and that a list of drought affected mandals will be announced soon. “Despite the adverse situation, the government is ready, and over the past several months, working with district collectors to ensure the impact of drought is lessened,” he said.