The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced on Monday, 1 June 2026 that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy chaired a high-level inter-departmental review at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Secretariat, Hyderabad, directing officials to prepare a comprehensive monsoon contingency plan in anticipation of an El Niño-driven rainfall deficit this kharif season.

Context

The meteorological department's forecast of deficient rainfall owing to El Niño conditions prompted the review. CM Revanth Reddy warned officials that if upstream states — Maharashtra and Karnataka — follow a policy of releasing water only after their own reservoirs are full, Telangana stands to face an acute water shortage. He directed irrigation officials to hold advance talks with counterparts in both states to ensure Telangana's pro-rata share from inter-state flows in the Krishna and Godavari basins is secured before the crisis deepens.

Senior officials from Agriculture, Irrigation, Urban Development, Panchayat Raj, Health, Home, HYDRA, Disaster Management, and Fire Services departments attended the meeting, reflecting the breadth of monsoon-preparedness concerns.

Policy Backdrop

Telangana's entitlements on the Krishna and Godavari rivers are governed by tribunal awards — the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT-I) award of 1976 and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal award of 1980 — whose implementation has remained contentious since the state's formation in 2014. The CM specifically flagged Koyna Dam in Maharashtra, whose water is used entirely for hydropower generation. He directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao to explore an arrangement under which Telangana takes that water and supplies equivalent power back to Maharashtra, potentially unlocking additional flows for irrigation.

On the Godavari, the CM noted that thousands of TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of floodwater drain into the sea every year within a very short flood window. He called for a clear policy on diverting both Godavari and Pranahita floodwaters before they are lost.

Stakeholders and Impact

Farmers are the most immediate stakeholders. The CM directed Agriculture Department officials to align crop-sowing decisions with meteorological forecasts and to use AI-generated videos and television broadcasts through Rythu Vedika platforms to educate farmers on crop diversification, crop rotation, and low-water-consumption varieties. He also confirmed the government would write to the Central government seeking allocation of the entire urea output of the Ramagundam fertiliser plant to Telangana.

Urban residents of Hyderabad and the three municipal corporations under GHMC/CURE jurisdiction are also in focus. Officials were asked to report progress on constructing water-harvesting wells at 141 identified waterlogging spots and to ensure no drinking-water disruption anywhere in the state even under drought conditions. Senior official Jayesh Ranjan was tasked with reviewing the progress of all pending works on a rolling basis.

On disaster relief, the CM asked for FIRs to be registered immediately when lives or property are lost during heatwaves or floods, so that compensation reaches affected families without delay. He also directed that the Rs 1,000 crore available with the Disaster Management department be spent as per rules on flood-damaged roads, collapsed bridges, and related infrastructure.

What's Next

Finance officials confirmed that Rs 300 crore has already been released for dam gate repairs and maintenance; the CM ordered that any additional funds required must be released immediately. He warned that officials found negligent in dam safety during this monsoon season will face strict disciplinary action, citing past problems at Kadam Project as a cautionary example. District Collectors and Superintendents of Police were instructed to hold regular coordinated meetings to ensure ground-level preparedness. The proposed letter to the Centre on Ramagundam urea allocation and the inter-state water-sharing discussions with Maharashtra and Karnataka officials are expected to be the next concrete steps to watch.