In response to the orange alert issued by the meteorological department for several districts, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday instructed officials to remain vigilant, particularly in the context of ongoing paddy procurement operations.
Additional Arrangements at Procurement Centres
The chief minister directed officials to make additional arrangements at paddy procurement centres and expedite procurement operations. He emphasized that adequate tarpaulins should be kept ready to prevent stored paddy from getting wet. Officials were also instructed to shift tarpaulins from centres where procurement has already been completed.
Public Appeal for Caution
Following the India Meteorological Department's warning of strong gusty winds and heavy rainfall, the chief minister appealed to the public and farmers to remain cautious and alert.
Meanwhile, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy assured farmers that there was no need to panic over rain-drenched paddy, as the state government will procure it as well. “The government has activated an intensive emergency response mechanism to protect soaked grain and ensure procurement of every last grain reaching the purchase centres,” he said. “Unseasonal rains in some areas led to paddy getting drenched at procurement centres, prompting immediate intervention by the administration.”
He made these remarks while chairing a video conference with ministers, district collectors, senior civil supplies officials, and police authorities. The review was convened in view of sudden rains and adverse weather conditions affecting paddy procurement operations in several districts.
High-Level Review Meeting
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao, and Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra also participated in the review.
Telangana has so far recorded paddy arrivals of 66.75 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), out of which nearly 57 LMT has already been procured. The government has released Rs 10,096 crore directly into the accounts of over 8.14 lakh farmers under Minimum Support Price (MSP) payments.
Salvage Operations Underway
“Reports about rain-drenched paddy were received from 17 districts, involving nearly 9,214 metric tonnes. In a massive salvage operation launched overnight, authorities succeeded in shifting nearly 95 per cent of the soaked paddy to boiled rice mills, thereby preventing major crop loss,” Uttam said.
District collectors, Revenue Divisional Officers, additional collectors, tahsildars, and civil supplies teams have been placed on high alert following the heavy rain forecast issued by weather officials. Vehicles were mobilized from early morning hours to ensure immediate transportation of drenched stocks from procurement centres to mills.
