Telangana govt prepares three-phase contingency plan to tackle El-Nino
Hyderabad, July 13 : The Telangana government has prepared a three-phase contingency plan to effectively address the challenges posed by El Niño, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said on Monday.
He directed the authorities to be ready to implement the first phase of the three-phase pre-emptive action to prevent farmers from suffering due to El-Nino conditions. He said the government has taken a range of precautionary measures to effectively address any situation.
The minister held a comprehensive review with scientists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) and senior officials of the agriculture and allied sectors at ICRISAT in Hyderabad on Monday.
The three-phase contingency plans were comprehensively reviewed in this meeting, and the final action plan was discussed in accordance with the scientists' suggestions. Scientists from various institutions informed the minister about the measures they have prepared to cope with El-Nino conditions. They presented a report on the drought-tolerant crops and varieties, and the measures to be taken in already cultivated crops to cope with drought conditions.
The minister clarified that every management measure suggested by scientists should be conveyed to farmers at the field level and implemented by district authorities. He directed the district collectors and agriculture-allied sector officials to be constantly at the field level and monitor the situation.
Speaking later, the Director of Agriculture said that, keeping in mind the possibility of delayed rains due to the effects of El Niño, prolonged dry spells, and high temperatures, a statewide contingency plan has been prepared in three phases, taking July 15, July 30, and August 15 as the basis.
It is estimated that 16.30 lakh quintals of seeds will be required if the rains are delayed until July 15, 13.82 lakh quintals if the rains are delayed until July 30, and 12.70 lakh quintals if the drought-like conditions continue until August 15. Steps have been taken to make the seeds available in advance, he said.
Officials from the Irrigation Department, Groundwater Department, and other departments spoke to the minister and explained the details of water availability and the prevailing situation across the state regarding power supply. The rainfall conditions in the state's 33 districts will be reviewed daily. According to the current report, 13 districts have recorded normal rainfall, while 20 districts have rainfall deficit.
He suggested that district collectors, agricultural officers and scientists in the rain-deficient districts should jointly review the conditions and take necessary steps immediately. The minister suggested that El Niño should be addressed scientifically and that a Dynamic District-Specific Response (DSR) approach should be implemented in the state in this regard.
As part of this, he ordered the implementation of scientific approaches such as real-time rainfall monitoring, weather-based agricultural advisories, soil moisture monitoring, crop growth assessment, weather hazard analysis, alternative crop action plan, soil moisture conservation measures in the field, and crop diversification.
Minister Tummala said coordination among various departments is crucial to effectively deal with El Niño conditions. In this context, he directed the officials to release a comprehensive weekly Agro-Weather Bulletin in coordination with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Irrigation Department, Ground Water Department, Power Department, Agriculture Department and Horticulture Department.
The bulletin, which will be released every week until the end of August, will include rainfall recorded by mandal, weather conditions for the coming week and until the end of the month, chances of dry spells, maximum and minimum temperatures, soil moisture conditions, groundwater availability, irrigation water situation, power supply, crop condition, management measures to be taken by farmers, as well as weather forecasts for this month and next month in the catchment areas of the irrigation department projects.
The minister said accurate estimates of the water reserves, inflows, and irrigation water availability in the respective projects should also be included in the bulletin.
The Ground Water Department was directed to provide the latest information on groundwater availability by mandal and take steps to prepare a water usage plan.
The officials were instructed to disseminate this weekly bulletin widely to farmers through farmer forums, village panchayats, agricultural extension officers, WhatsApp groups, social media platforms, digital platforms, and local media, and to strengthen the system so that farmers receive scientific information from time to time.
He directed the authorities to be ready to implement the first phase of the three-phase pre-emptive action to prevent farmers from suffering due to El-Nino conditions. He said the government has taken a range of precautionary measures to effectively address any situation.
The minister held a comprehensive review with scientists from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research (IIOR), Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) and senior officials of the agriculture and allied sectors at ICRISAT in Hyderabad on Monday.
The three-phase contingency plans were comprehensively reviewed in this meeting, and the final action plan was discussed in accordance with the scientists' suggestions. Scientists from various institutions informed the minister about the measures they have prepared to cope with El-Nino conditions. They presented a report on the drought-tolerant crops and varieties, and the measures to be taken in already cultivated crops to cope with drought conditions.
The minister clarified that every management measure suggested by scientists should be conveyed to farmers at the field level and implemented by district authorities. He directed the district collectors and agriculture-allied sector officials to be constantly at the field level and monitor the situation.
Speaking later, the Director of Agriculture said that, keeping in mind the possibility of delayed rains due to the effects of El Niño, prolonged dry spells, and high temperatures, a statewide contingency plan has been prepared in three phases, taking July 15, July 30, and August 15 as the basis.
It is estimated that 16.30 lakh quintals of seeds will be required if the rains are delayed until July 15, 13.82 lakh quintals if the rains are delayed until July 30, and 12.70 lakh quintals if the drought-like conditions continue until August 15. Steps have been taken to make the seeds available in advance, he said.
Officials from the Irrigation Department, Groundwater Department, and other departments spoke to the minister and explained the details of water availability and the prevailing situation across the state regarding power supply. The rainfall conditions in the state's 33 districts will be reviewed daily. According to the current report, 13 districts have recorded normal rainfall, while 20 districts have rainfall deficit.
He suggested that district collectors, agricultural officers and scientists in the rain-deficient districts should jointly review the conditions and take necessary steps immediately. The minister suggested that El Niño should be addressed scientifically and that a Dynamic District-Specific Response (DSR) approach should be implemented in the state in this regard.
As part of this, he ordered the implementation of scientific approaches such as real-time rainfall monitoring, weather-based agricultural advisories, soil moisture monitoring, crop growth assessment, weather hazard analysis, alternative crop action plan, soil moisture conservation measures in the field, and crop diversification.
Minister Tummala said coordination among various departments is crucial to effectively deal with El Niño conditions. In this context, he directed the officials to release a comprehensive weekly Agro-Weather Bulletin in coordination with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Irrigation Department, Ground Water Department, Power Department, Agriculture Department and Horticulture Department.
The bulletin, which will be released every week until the end of August, will include rainfall recorded by mandal, weather conditions for the coming week and until the end of the month, chances of dry spells, maximum and minimum temperatures, soil moisture conditions, groundwater availability, irrigation water situation, power supply, crop condition, management measures to be taken by farmers, as well as weather forecasts for this month and next month in the catchment areas of the irrigation department projects.
The minister said accurate estimates of the water reserves, inflows, and irrigation water availability in the respective projects should also be included in the bulletin.
The Ground Water Department was directed to provide the latest information on groundwater availability by mandal and take steps to prepare a water usage plan.
The officials were instructed to disseminate this weekly bulletin widely to farmers through farmer forums, village panchayats, agricultural extension officers, WhatsApp groups, social media platforms, digital platforms, and local media, and to strengthen the system so that farmers receive scientific information from time to time.
