Centre warns of El Niño impact, Amit Shah orders reservoir monitoring
New Delhi, July 3: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday reviewed the below-normal rainfall in some parts of the country due to El Niño and its potential impact. Senior officials from various ministries and departments participated in the meeting. The government stated that it is closely monitoring the monsoon situation and potential drought conditions.
At the meeting, Amit Shah directed the Agriculture Ministry and other relevant ministries to coordinate with state governments and provide timely advice to farmers regarding sowing of weather-appropriate crops. He directed the Jal Shakti Ministry to continuously monitor all large and small reservoirs and groundwater levels in the country.
The Home Minister also stressed the need to ensure the availability of animal fodder and promote alternative water-intensive crops such as coarse grains and pulses. He also directed the Ministry of Energy to take necessary steps to ensure adequate and uninterrupted power supply in the country.
The Home Minister was informed during the meeting that the country has sufficient stocks of essential food grains, including rice and wheat, and that prices of essential commodities remain stable.
The review meeting was attended by the Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Rural Development, and the Department of Science and Technology, as well as senior officials from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Central Water Commission, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and the National Remote Sensing Centre.
The Home Minister directed the Home Ministry to send an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to assess the damage caused by the recent heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides. The government says it will conduct on-the-spot assessments of the damage caused to infrastructure, agriculture, and residential areas in both states due to the natural disasters, so that necessary relief and rehabilitation measures can be expedited.
