BRS seeks El Niño drought policy, State-funded relief

Hyderabad: The main opposition BRS on Wednesday demanded that the Congress government announce a comprehensive El Niño drought policy, release input subsidies from State funds, publish its relief budget and implement a drinking water plan through June 2027. The party also sought supervised lifting of Godavari water and an explanation for failing to utilise Krishna and Godavari flows during peak floods.

Accusing the Revanth Reddy government of criminal negligence, MLC Dasoju Sravan Kumar said Telangana declared 365 mandals drought-hit, including 111 severely affected, through G.O. Ms. No. 3 on October 27, nearly a month after Andhra Pradesh declared drought in 388 mandals on October 1. The Cabinet sub-committee on El Niño was constituted only on October 19, despite warnings since May, he said.

The BRS MLC stated that the government order specified neither an input subsidy rate nor allocations from the State budget or State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Its provision linking input subsidy payments to the receipt of National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) assistance left farmers dependent on Central funds, he said.

The Assembly had sought Central assistance, the State’s SDRF share, additional employment days, 1,500 MW of power, a Rs 20,000-crore package and a higher borrowing limit on September 18. Yet the drought order issued 36 days later committed no State funds, he alleged.

Sravan Kumar said the government had also failed to act on its expert committee’s Rs 802.92-crore contingency plan, prepared in July for seeds, drip irrigation, fodder and drinking water. Kharif sowing had declined from 139.28 lakh acres to 126.06 lakh acres, with paddy acreage down 18 per cent, he said.

He also criticised the absence of interest relief for farmers and said the order merely asked Collectors to pursue loan restructuring with banks. Urban areas were also excluded from the drought declaration despite the prevailing drinking-water crisis.

Citing government data, he said reservoirs held 179.63 TMCft against a capacity of 585 TMCft. Hyderabad was receiving water once in three days, power demand had approached 20,000 MW, and farmers reported less than eight hours of three-phase power supply.

He questioned why Annaram and Sundilla pumps remained idle while Kaleshwaram command-area mandals faced drought, and demanded an explanation for Godavari water flowing downstream. He also cited the NDSA chairman’s description of barrage repairs as very slow.

BRS demands

• Declare an El Niño drought policy immediately.
• Lift Godavari water under expert supervision.
• Pay input subsidies to farmers from State funds immediately.
• Publish the relief budget and provide drought relief to farmers.
• Announce a drinking water plan through June 2027.
• Explain to the public why Krishna and Godavari waters were not lifted during peak floods.