HYDERABAD: The state government will launch a special scheme to tackle the impact of El Nino and provide employment for four months, from after Sankranti until the end of May.
Announcing this on Friday, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that, apart from funds received from the Centre under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the state government would also spend a substantial amount on the proposed scheme.
Recalling the Janmabhoomi and Food for Work programmes implemented in undivided Andhra Pradesh, Revanth directed Panchayat Raj Minister D Anasuya and the Cabinet sub-committee on El Nino to work out the modalities for implementing the scheme. He also asked party leaders to suggest a suitable name for it.
Drought conditions would bring agricultural activities to a halt, making it difficult for labourers and other marginalised sections to find work, he said.
At a meeting with Congress MLCs, MLAs and DCC presidents on El Nino, Revanth directed public representatives to visit villages for four months, from after Sankranti until the end of May, and interact with people affected by the conditions.
He asked everyone, from ward members to MPs, to leave towns and tour villages. An app would be installed on public representatives’ mobile phones to monitor their visits.
The situation could worsen to the extent that people might not even be able to step out of their homes, Revanth warned. The government could not overcome the crisis without creating awareness and involving people in efforts to address it, he said.
Revanth said 15 lakh of the state’s 30 lakh agricultural pump sets had dried up. There would not be a drop of water for Rabi crops, as available supplies would be sufficient only for drinking water needs, leaving none for agriculture. He urged farmers to cultivate only vegetables.
Revanth tells people to save power
Revanth also called on officials and the public to conserve electricity, stating that power was unavailable in the open market even at `15 per unit. He asked officials to avoid using lights during the day and restrict the use of air conditioners.
Pointing out that countries across the world were facing the effects of El Nino, he said BRS leaders were wrong to blame the Congress government for the situation.
El Nino would cause temperatures to rise and water scarcity, while hot weather would increase electricity consumption. He recalled that Maharashtra had appealed to people to reduce water consumption by 20%. The prevailing conditions were expected to continue until July 2027, he said.
The government had constituted a sub-committee to monitor El Nino conditions and appointed a nodal officer to counter what he described as misleading propaganda by the Opposition BRS, he added.
Revanth said annual electricity consumption usually increased by around 6%, but power demand had risen by 20% this year. Despite the sharp rise, officials were ensuring uninterrupted power supply round the clock, he said.
Revanth also rejected BRS allegations that rice prices had touched Rs 90 per kg because of the Congress government’s inefficiency. Traders were paying between 3,400 and Rs 4,000 per quintal of paddy, contributing to the rise in retail rice prices, he said.
