Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday, 23 October issued a stark warning that drought conditions driven by the El Niño weather phenomenon would persist across the state for the next 8 to 10 months. Addressing a meeting of Congress leaders, MLAs, MPs, and MLCs in Hyderabad, he ruled out irrigation water availability and urged farmers to shift entirely to rainfed crops and vegetables.

Scale of the Water Crisis

Revanth Reddy disclosed that out of 30 lakh agriculture pump sets in Telangana, 15 lakh have already run dry. Water storage across reservoirs and projects has fallen to less than 20 per cent of capacity, with total available water estimated at over 200 TMC — and several projects reportedly approaching dead storage levels. The Chief Minister cautioned that not a single drop of irrigation water would be available in the coming days.

This comes amid a broader regional water stress, with the Chief Minister noting that neighbouring states including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu are facing similar conditions. In parts of Maharashtra, drinking water is already being rationed and residents have been asked to cut consumption by 20 per cent, Revanth Reddy noted.

Drinking Water: A Bigger Challenge Ahead

The Chief Minister flagged drinking water scarcity as an even graver threat than the irrigation shortfall. He instructed a Cabinet sub-committee, alongside district-level officials, to monitor drinking water supply continuously. A toll-free helpline is to be established to address public grievances. Revanth Reddy warned that a situation may arise where citizens would be unable to step out of their homes due to intense heat and water scarcity — conditions already pushing electricity consumption sharply higher across the state.

Employment and Relief Measures Announced

To cushion the economic blow on rural workers, Revanth Reddy announced a special employment scheme to be launched after Sankranti, running for four months until May. The scheme will provide daily employment and will be funded jointly by the Centre and the state government. Workers are to be deployed in restoring access paths to agricultural fields, canals, ponds, and small water bodies. Special fodder and drinking water centres will also be set up in villages for cattle relief.

'We must provide work for every individual and ensure that everyone has food to eat. This scheme must be meticulously designed and implemented,' the Chief Minister said.

Political Row and Public Outreach

Revanth Reddy hit back at the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing its leaders of spreading political misinformation by claiming the drought was caused by the Congress government rather than El Niño. He called such statements 'made with political malice,' pointing out that El Niño is affecting over 100 countries worldwide and multiple Indian states simultaneously.

On public outreach, the Chief Minister called for Kalajathas — cultural troupes — to motivate farmers, and directed that a help desk be set up at the Congress state headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, under MP Chamala Kiran. Farmer awareness campaigns through Rythu Vedikas are also planned. 'We cannot tackle this drought without alerting the public and making them partners in our efforts,' he said.

What Comes Next

With reservoir levels critically low and the peak of the crisis still months away, the state government faces mounting pressure on both water management and rural livelihood support. The effectiveness of the employment scheme, the speed of helpline deployment, and inter-departmental coordination will be closely watched in the weeks ahead.