Telangana may send all-party delegation to Centre if drought persists

Hyderabad: In a crucial all-party meeting held at the Secretariat to discuss measures to discuss the prevailing rainfall deficit and water shortage in Telangana, the state government assured “advance” plans to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply in both urban and rural areas.

Led by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in Hyderabad on Wednesday, October 28, the meeting was attended by L Ramana and Singireddy Niranjan Reddy from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, Akbaruddin Owaisi and other parties.

Cabinet Sub-Committee members and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao, Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Women Empowerment Minister Danasari Seethakka and MLA Vakiti Srihari also attended the meeting, along with Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju and nodal officer Ramakrishna Rao.

Notably, there was no representative from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Bhatti said the government was preparing a plan to optimise use of available water resources based on storage levels in reservoirs. “We have submitted a report on the drought situation to the Centre and if the condition persists, an all-party delegation would meet Union Ministers to seek assistance,” he said.

A committee had been constituted to study the issue, while steps were being taken to raise public awareness. He said the government was assessing the conditions likely to arise in the coming months and preparing in advance to address the challenges.

Departments were coordinating measures to tackle possible drought conditions and minimise their impact.

He appealed to all parties to work for the larger public interest and above political gains. “The government would make every possible effort to incorporate feasible recommendations into its action plan,” he said.

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