Telangana CM Revanth to hold meeting with Congress leaders on El Nino impact

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will hold a crucial meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Ministers and elected representatives at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad on Friday (October 23, 2026) to discuss the anticipated impact of El Niño on the State and the measures required to tackle the emerging challenges.

The meeting will be attended by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud, Ministers, government advisers, MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and District Congress Committee presidents.

The meeting assumes significance against the backdrop of a series of reviews by the Chief Minister and the State government on the potential impact of El Niño on rainfall, reservoir levels, drinking water supply, irrigation, agricultural operations and electricity availability over the coming months.

The latest meeting indicates that the government intends to broaden consultations within the ruling party and mobilise its organisational machinery to communicate the situation's seriousness to the public, particularly farmers. It follows the Chief Minister’s repeated warnings that the State could face a prolonged spell of water and power stress and that precautionary measures must be taken well before the situation deteriorates.

Mr. Reddy has been urging farmers to reassess their crop plans, asking people to conserve water and calling upon political parties and public representatives to cooperate with the government. He has also indicated that the State would seek the Centre’s assistance to meet the financial and administrative requirements of managing the anticipated crisis.

The Chief Minister held a series of meetings on October 10 and later on October 15, where he cautioned that the next eight months would be crucial in managing the situation. He asked the officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan covering drinking water, irrigation, agriculture and power supply.

A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Mr. Bhatti Vikramarka was also formed to assess the conditions in rainfall-deficient areas, the difficulties faced by farmers and the steps needed to safeguard essential services.

Appeals from the Chief Minister have also appeared on television and other social media platforms, where he sought cooperation of people in conserving water and power and curb unnecessary use of those resources.

Telangana seeks ₹20,000 special package from Centre

The government has also sought financial assistance from the Centre, a special package of ₹20,000 crores, to deal with the consequences of rainfall deficiency and possible drought conditions. Additional employment opportunities for rural labourers were also sought, as they could be affected if agricultural activity declines. An additional 50 days of work was sought under the employment guarantee scheme over and above the existing 125 days.

The meeting on October 23 is expected to provide the Congress leadership with an opportunity to discuss how the party’s elected representatives and district-level units can take the government’s appeal to the village level.