Nizamabad’s water plan will prioritise drinking water supplies over Yasangi paddy cultivation as the district administration prepares for possible El Nino-related pressure on reservoirs, groundwater, electricity and irrigation in the coming months.
District collector Ila Tripathi directed officials to implement a comprehensive action plan during a review meeting at the integrated district offices complex. The administration will conduct village-level awareness campaigns asking farmers to avoid paddy cultivation during the Yasangi season where irrigation is not assured and consider crops requiring less water.
Officials have been asked to promote alternatives including maize, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and oil palm, depending on local water availability. Tripathi said stored reservoir water must be used judiciously because adequate supplies for Yasangi paddy cultivation could not be guaranteed.
Agriculture and horticulture departments will organise meetings in villages to explain groundwater conditions, available water resources and the risks of cultivating paddy without assured irrigation. The administration has also directed officials to assess potential challenges in advance and prepare contingency plans.
Village-wise plans are to be prepared for the next eight to 10 months. These plans will cover drinking water requirements, irrigation availability, groundwater levels, electricity consumption, alternative cropping patterns and water conservation measures, according to the district administration’s instructions.
The administration is also preparing for a possible rise in electricity demand. Tripathi asked officials to take advance measures to prevent supply disruptions as agricultural and drinking water requirements increase. The plan links water availability with power planning because irrigation and borewell operations depend on reliable electricity supplies.
Drinking water has been assigned the highest priority in the district’s water allocation approach. Officials were instructed to ensure that no village faces a drinking water shortage until the next monsoon. The collector directed departments to urgently repair drinking water pipelines, install new pipelines where required and arrange agricultural borewells on rent to meet drinking water needs.
The instructions place responsibility on multiple departments, including agriculture, horticulture, rural administration, water-supply agencies and power officials. Their village-level plans are expected to identify local supply gaps before they become emergencies, while the crop advisory is intended to reduce pressure on groundwater and stored surface water.
Additional collectors Raja Goud and V. Bhujangarao, RDOs Rajendra Kumar and Vijaya Kumari, and officials from various departments attended the review meeting. The district administration’s next steps are the preparation of village-wise plans, awareness meetings with farmers and urgent repairs to drinking water infrastructure.
