The Interior Minister emphasizes proactive steps to mitigate the impact of El Niño

Home Minister V. Anitha and APSDMA Executive Director Prakhar Jain addressed officials of various departments during a review meeting at the APSDMA office in Tadepalli on Tuesday.

AP Home and Disaster Management Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of various departments in view of the prevailing El Niño conditions and directed the officials to make preliminary plans to deal with the problems that may arise during the southwest monsoon season.

Chairing the review meeting at AP State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) headquarters, Ms. Anitha instructed all line departments to take proactive measures to minimize the impact of El Niño on the state. She emphasized that preventing loss of life should be the government’s top priority.

Officials informed the minister that 27% of rainfall is likely to fall below normal in Andhra Pradesh during the southwest monsoon this year.

Noting that 105 out of 688 mandals are expected to be severely affected by deficit rainfall, Ms. Anitha asked agriculture department officials to create awareness among farmers about suitable alternative crops. She also directed them to ensure that weather-based agricultural advisory reaches the farmers at the village level.

Sri Sathya Sai, Anantapur and Annamayya districts are expected to be the most affected, while Kurnool, Nandyal, Chittoor, YSR Kadapa, Tirupati, Prakasam, Markapuram and SPSR Nellore are likely to experience moderate drought. According to an APSDMA press release, 1,161 Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) across the state have been identified as high-risk centres.

The minister directed the officials to ensure uninterrupted functioning of dispatch centers at both the state and district levels. She said weather alerts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and APSDMA should be immediately disseminated at the field level, adding that timely early warnings, effective emergency response and quick recovery could significantly reduce the impact of disasters.

Officials informed the minister that ₹277.63 crore was released under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF)/National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) during the financial year 2025-26, while ₹479.01 crore was released in 2026-27.

They also said that ₹ 521.17 crore has been allocated under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF)/National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for long-term disaster mitigation projects.

Ms. Anitha also issued instructions to officials of Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Health, Panchayat Raj, Water Resources and Municipal Administration Department to strengthen preparedness measures.

APSDMA Director General Prakhar Jain, Director Municipal Administration and Urban Development Sampath Kumar, NDRF 10th Battalion Commander Prasanna Kumar and other officials attended the meeting.

Published – 07 Jul 2026 21:24 IST