Hyderabad|India|August'2009: The Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has instructed all the departments concerned including disaster management, agriculture, horticulture, panchayatraj, Municipal Administration, Rural Water Supply and Animal Husbandry to be ready to meet any eventuality arising out of the adverse seasonal conditions and shortage of rainfall in many of the districts in the State. The Chief Minister asked the departments to give first and foremost priority to drinking water in all the districts. He said funds will never be a problem as far as drinking water supply is concerned. He has directed the Disaster Management department to release a total of Rs. 45.5 crores to various departments for carrying out urgent works to meet the adverse seasonal conditions prevailing in the State.

The Chief Minister said the State Government is ready to meet the situation where 80% of the mandals in the State are having deficit/scanty rainfall so far. The Chief Minister today reviewed the steps being taken to meet the adverse seasonal conditions in the State with ministers and officials at Secretariat. The Chief Minister said that all district collectors be told to take up the drinking water supply on top priority and the departments concerned should constantly monitor it. The Chief Minister said next meeting will be held positively on 16th August 2009 to take stock of the latest situation then.

The Backward Region Growth Fund provided by the Government of India, now available in 13 districts should be utilised to meet the drinking water problem only. The Chief Minister instructed the Animal Husbandry department to take up raising of the fodder crops in a big way and supply fodder crop seeds. Towards this, the Chief Minister asked the Disaster Management Department to release Rs. 3.5 crores.

The Agriculture Department has been asked to take up supply of seeds for alternate crops whenever and wherever necessary. The Disaster Management has been asked to release Rs. 35 crores immediately to the Agriculture Department. The Chief Minister directed the Horticulture department to take up vegetable crops wherever possible in view of the adverse seasonal conditions and shortage of other crops. The Disaster Management department will release Rs. 5 crores towards this. The Public Health Department has been asked to ensure drinking water supply in the urban area. In addition to the Rs. 3 crore already released, an additional Rs. 2 crore will be released to the department.

The Chief Minister was told that in view of the drought-like situation in some of the districts and mandals, demand for wage employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme has increased substantially. It is expected that 30 to 35 lakhs labourers are likely to demand wage employment per day involving Rs.500 to 600 crores wage payment per month. The Chief Minister directed all departments to depute engineers and other staff to help the Rural Development Department to meet this situation.

Meanwhile the Disaster Management department has informed that during the current South-West monsoon, the State has received an average rainfall of 149.5 mms as on 30.7.2009 against the normal of 292.2 mms with a deficit rainfall of 40%. Similarly as on 30th July 2008, the state received 235.2 mms against normal rainfall with a deficit of 20% during South-West monsoon of 2008.

Thus, the 3 North Coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam have received normal rainfall, 14 districts namely East Godavari, West Godavari, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, Ananthapur, Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Ranga reddy, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Khammam have received deficit rainfall (-20% to -50% of normal rainfall) and 6 districts namely Krishna, Guntur, Hyderabad, Medak, Warangal and Nalgonda districts have received scanty rainfall (-60% to -99% of the normal rainfall).

Out of 1128 mandals in the State, 431 mandals (38%) received 'scanty' rainfall, 543 mandals (48%) received 'deficit'. 'Normal' and 'Excess' rainfall is received in 154 mandals (14%). Out of 1128 mandals in the State, 969 mandals have received 'deficient' rainfall. The normal crop sown area in Kharif season in the State is 79.07 lakh hectares. As on 29th July 2009, an extent of 34.38 lakh hectares is sown, covering 43% of the normal sown area. During Kharif 2008, an extent of 39.42 lakh hectares (50%) was sown as on this date against the normal area.

Keeping in view the adverse seasonal conditions, the agriculture department prepared a contingent plan to cover 2,01,630 hectares under different crops like maize, jowar, castor, sunflower or redgram ith a seed requirement of 20,101 quintals in Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Medak Districts. To meet further contingency of not receiving rains till 15th August, 2009, the Department has put in place a plan to cover 9,11,484 hectares in 12 districts under crops like maizze, jowar, sunflower, redgram, greengram, horsegram, safflower, sesamum or paddy with a seed requirement of 2,11,231 quintals.

There is no shortage of fodder in the State at present. However, keeping in view the adverse seasonal conditions, the department of Animal Husbandry has prepared contingency plan for Rs.795.00 lakhs to tackle the situation arising. The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RWS) Department and MA & UD Department (ENC PH) are closely monitoring the supply of drinking water in Rural and Urban areas respectively. In view of the adverse seasonal conditions in the state, a contingency plan is prepared for Rs.2519.82 lakhs to mitigate the drinking water problem in rural areas.

A total of 11 ULBs are identified as problematic due to depletion of ground water. At present 643 tankers are engaged daily for transportation of water to the un-served and ill served areas in 88 ULBs making 3998 trips per day. Similarly, another 18 ULBs are likely to be problematic in coming months. In order to ensure adequate supply of drinking water, a contingent plan is prepared for an amount of Rs.20.30 crores to mitigate the drinking water problem. The contingent plan includes hiring of private bore-wells, deepening of bore-wells and repairs to the existing bore-wells and motors.

Revenue Minister D Prasada Rao, Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, Rural Development Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar, Minister for Minor Irrigation, Sunitha Laxma Reddy, Chief Secretary, P Ramakantha Reddy, Commissioner, Disaster Management, Dinesh Kumar, Special Chief Secretaries--Agriculture Marketing & Animal Husbandry, Pankaj Dwivedi & Priyadarshi Das, Principal Secretary, Rural Development, K Raju, Principal Secretary, Minor Irrigation, S.P.Tucker, Principal Secretary, Rural Water Supply, Chitra Ramachandran, Secretaries, Irrigation, R R Mishra & Adityanath Das, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Rachel Chatterjee, Commissioner, Agriculture, Sunil Sharma and other officials attended the meeting.