Telangana to roll out groundwater action plan

Metro India News | Hyderabad  

Bracing for the looming El Niño threat and the possibility of groundwater stress during the coming months, the Telangana Government is preparing a coordinated State-wide action plan to boost groundwater recharge, regulate extraction and ensure sustainable management of available water resources, said the Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday.  

The initiative will focus on scientific assessment of groundwater availability, strengthening recharge measures while guiding farmers towards water-efficient cropping patterns ahead of the ensuing Rabi season.

Reviewing the groundwater situation with senior officials and experts at his Secretariat chambers along with Vakiti Srihari, Minister for Diary Development, Animal Husbandry, Youth Services and Sports, Uttam Kumar Reddy said a comprehensive paper would be prepared on the groundwater situation facilitating further discussions with officials to formulate a coordinated action plan.

An expert from the CSIR-Northeast Institute of Science and Technology, Prof. Virendra Tiwari, who is also an adjunct professor at IIT Hyderabad, joined the review virtually, suggested an immediate assessment of precipitation against groundwater storage using the Groundwater Estimation Committee (GEC) model. He said a preliminary assessment could be completed within a few days.

Pointing out that more than 94 per cent of water utilisation in Telangana was accounted for by irrigation, while domestic and other uses constituted only about 1.8 per cent, the expert stressed the need to quantify groundwater availability and requirements at the watershed level.

The expert recommended mapping water availability against irrigation requirements in every watershed and using the findings to guide farmers on suitable crops. While paddy cultivation might remain feasible in areas with adequate water storage, farmers in water-stressed regions should be encouraged to consider alternatives such as maize and millets, with the government explaining their potential economic returns.

Task Force proposed

Experts have proposed constituting a task force reporting directly to the State leadership, with weekly, 10-day or fortnightly meetings to monitor the situation and coordinate corrective measures.

Responding to the suggestions, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government would hold detailed consultations on strengthening the Groundwater Department, including improving its infrastructure, financial resources and technical capabilities.

Referring to Israel and other countries that conserve and utilise every available drop of rainfall despite receiving comparatively less precipitation, he said Telangana should adopt a similar approach to water conservation.

The Minister said the State should treat the challenge as a collective responsibility of the government, elected representatives and departmental officials until the next monsoon. He also called for institutionalising rainwater harvesting and conservation so that future rainfall deficiencies could be managed more effectively. 

Mahabubnagar MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy and ENC (General), O. V. Ramesh Babu, Joint Secretary, K Srinivas and Ground water Director, Krishna were among those who took part in the review.