Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy urges farmers to avoid water intensive crops amid El Nino threat

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has urged farmers across the state to adjust their planting schedules and avoid water-intensive crops like paddy as severe El Niño conditions threaten regional water security over the coming nine to ten months.

Speaking on the climate challenges facing the agricultural sector, state leaders warned that rainfall deficits could severely affect water availability in reservoirs and groundwater reserves. To prevent severe financial losses, the administration has advised farmers to opt for less water-dependent crops or consider deferring a single crop cycle.

What Telangana leaders are advising farmers

Reinforcing the state administration's guidance, Bhongir Member of Parliament Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy urged agricultural communities to take immediate precautionary steps against climate risks. He noted that paddy and similar crops require substantial water reserves that may not be available throughout the full crop cycle.

"Farmers would be among the first to suffer the consequences of El Niño," the MP said, appealing to growers to prioritize low-water alternative crops rather than risking financial distress.

Impact on state power generation and governance

Beyond crop production, the state government noted that reservoir drawdowns could affect hydroelectric generation capacity. Officials emphasized that prudent water management is required to maintain stability across both farming and electricity supply networks.

Highlighting recent infrastructure delivery, MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy pointed out that Telangana has established the capacity to supply 20,000 MW of power to meet state demands. He added that climatic phenomena remain global challenges and criticized opposition parties for seeking to politicize natural weather events rather than supporting community resilience.