Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and AIMIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi attended an all-party meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Wednesday. The meeting discussed the impact of El Niño and drought conditions in Telangana. Owaisi sought immediate remedial measures on drinking water, electricity, agriculture and essential commodities.
Owaisi submitted a detailed representation to Bhatti Vikramarka. He urged the state government to implement the contingency action plan prepared by an expert committee headed by G Chinna Reddy. The plan was submitted on July 30, 2026, and requires a budgetary allocation of Rs 803 crore. “The situation before us is grave,” Owaisi said in the representation.
The representation cited a rainfall deficit. Telangana received 619 mm of rain against the normal 825.4 mm until October 27, a deficit of 25 per cent. The state got only 3.5 mm in October against the normal 75.6 mm, while Hyderabad recorded 2.8 mm against 88.5 mm. Owaisi also referred to 365 mandals across 31 districts declared drought-affected for Kharif 2026. He welcomed the Cabinet Sub-Committee formed under the Deputy Chief Minister and asked for a dedicated urban summer action plan covering Hyderabad, Cyberabad, Malkajgiri and the HMDA region.
On drinking water, Owaisi said the Singur reservoir stood at 10.13 per cent capacity, with 3.03 TMC against 29.92 TMC. Five of the eight reservoirs supplying HMWSSB held 9.28 TMC against a capacity of 38.95 TMC. Water supply had fallen from the normal 597 MGD to 576.55 MGD, and tanker bookings averaged 6,000 to 8,000 daily. He urged a published summer water plan with source-wise availability, locality-wise schedules and contingency arrangements. He also sought action on a 65 MGD shortfall, complaints of coloured and foul-smelling water, and falling groundwater levels.
On electricity, Owaisi said peak demand crossed 20,000 MW on October 15 and is projected to reach 22,000-23,000 MW in summer 2027. He urged full-capacity operation of state power plants, especially the Yadadri Thermal Power Plant, which is generating 1,200-1,500 MW against its 4,000 MW capacity. He also sought additional short-term power arrangements, timely upgrades of feeders and transformers, and adequate staff and materials for quicker response to outages.
On agriculture, the representation said the Kharif crop area fell by 13.22 lakh acres, from 1.39 crore acres to 1.26 crore acres. Paddy cultivation dropped 18 per cent, from 69.19 lakh acres to 57 lakh acres, and nearly 20 lakh acres of crops were reportedly damaged. Owaisi asked for a clear Yasangi irrigation schedule and said any Rabi crop holiday should come with compensation, seed and input support, and marketing arrangements. He sought wider relief for urban daily-wage workers, including:
- Free drinking water kiosks every 300-500 metres on major roads and in crowded places
- Cooling centres and ORS packets
- Drinking water arrangements for animals
- Adjusted school timings to avoid afternoon heat
- Priority for women, children and the elderly
- Subsidised edible oil, sugar, wheat and pulses through the Public Distribution System, with action against hoarding
- A time-bound monitoring system with public dashboards and regular reviews
Owaisi raised concern over rising prices of sugar, edible oil, onions, ginger, garlic, chicken and eggs. “The people of Telangana are facing a convergence of drought, groundwater depletion, power stress, crop loss and inflation,” he said, urging a coordinated and transparent response. He requested that his representation be placed before the Cabinet Sub-Committee and that the government issue the necessary orders at the earliest.
