New Delhi, July 3: The Central government on Friday reviewed the prevailing situation arising from below-normal rainfall in several parts of the country due to the El Niño weather pattern and assessed its potential impact on agriculture, water availability and overall preparedness.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting to evaluate the situation and discussed coordinated measures to reduce the impact of possible drought conditions.
During the meeting, Shah said the Centre is continuously monitoring the rainfall deficit and the possibility of drought in affected regions. He directed the Ministry of Agriculture and other concerned ministries to remain in close coordination with state governments and provide timely guidance to farmers on suitable crop choices based on prevailing weather conditions.
He also instructed the Department of Water Resources to closely monitor water levels in reservoirs across the country and emphasised the promotion of alternative crops requiring less water, including fodder, millets and pulses.
The Union Home Minister further directed the Ministry of Power to ensure uninterrupted and adequate electricity supply in view of the evolving situation.
Officials informed the meeting that sufficient stocks of essential food grains, including rice and wheat, are available in the country and that prices of essential commodities remain stable.
The review meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Consumer Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Power, Rural Development and the Department of Science and Technology. Representatives from the National Disaster Management Authority, India Meteorological Department, Central Water Commission, Indian Agricultural Research Institute and National Remote Sensing Centre also participated.
Shah also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to depute an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to assess the damage caused by recent heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides.
The team will conduct on-site assessments to evaluate damage to infrastructure, agriculture and residential areas before submitting its report to the Centre.
The meeting was also attended by the Union Home Secretary, the Union Agriculture Secretary and other senior officials from the concerned ministries and departments.