States » SouthPosted at: Oct 24 2026 9:19PM


Political parties must stand by people amid El Nino conditions: Telangana Dy CM Bhatti

Khammam, Oct 24 (UNI) Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday appealed to political parties to rise above political differences and support the people in tackling the challenges posed by El Nino conditions, as deficient rainfall, declining water reserves and a sharp increase in electricity demand put pressure on the state's resources.
Addressing a media conference at Kodumuru village in Chintakani mandal of Khammam district, he said it was unfortunate that the government was being criticised at a time when people needed support the most.
Opposition parties should offer constructive suggestions to address the emerging situation instead of indulging in political criticism, he said.
Bhatti said Telangana's peak power demand had increased from 6,648 MW at the time of state formation in 2014 to 20,018 MW at present.
Daily electricity consumption had risen from 245.35 million units in October last year to 335.05 million units this month, registering an increase of about 37 per cent. The state had recorded an unusually sharp rise in power demand during October, he said.
Rising temperatures, increased use of agricultural pump sets and demand from lift irrigation schemes had contributed to the surge in consumption. The government was taking measures to strengthen power infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted supply despite the growing demand, he said.
Under the state power distribution companies, 177 substations had been completed and work on another 267 was in progress. Of the 24 substations approved under Telangana TRANSCO, 11 had been completed and work on nine others was underway, he said.
Declining reservoir levels were also affecting hydropower generation, which normally provides around 3,500 MW during peak night-time hours. The reduction in hydropower availability, coupled with an additional power demand of 4,000–5,000 MW, had posed a challenge to the electricity sector, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said nearly 1.5 million of the state's three million agricultural pump sets were located in areas facing groundwater shortages.
Farmers should avoid operating motors where borewells had insufficient water, as this could damage motors and transformers, he said.
Stressing the need for water conservation, Bhatti said that against the total storage capacity of 470.22 TMC in major reservoirs, only 178.60 TMC was currently available for utilisation. Nearly 40 per cent of the state's 44,034 tanks had less than one-fourth of their storage capacity filled.
He appealed to people to avoid wasting water and accord top priority to drinking water requirements, while ensuring adequate care for livestock and wildlife.
Conserving available water in tanks, ponds and reservoirs was essential to prevent shortages in the coming months, he said.
Bhatti said around 5.3 million households were receiving free electricity for consumption of up to 200 units a month, with the government spending approximately Rs 5,000 crore annually on the scheme.
Another Rs 14,000 crore was being spent annually to provide free electricity to agricultural pump sets, he said.
To support rural livelihoods if agricultural activities were affected by deficient rainfall, the government had identified 910,000 works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and was taking steps to identify another 800,000 works.
The proposed works included farm ponds, groundwater recharge structures, cattle and poultry sheds, nurseries, horticulture assets, rural roads and works relating to tanks and canals. The government was committed to providing employment opportunities to rural workers and was prepared to arrange the funds required for its share of the scheme, he said.
Bhatti said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had reviewed the situation with officials and constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to address the emerging challenges.
Calling for collective efforts, he urged political parties, public representatives, officials and citizens to work together to conserve water and electricity and protect the livelihoods of farmers, labourers and rural communities amid the challenging weather conditions.
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Tags: #Political parties must stand by people amid El Nino conditions: Telangana Dy CM Bhatti
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