Telangana water crisis: El Nino shifts global winds, temperatures and rainfall

Moving on, amid warnings of a super El Nino, Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has now appealed to the state's farmers to defer one crop cycle, particularly water-intensive paddy cultivation. Reddy has warned that an unprecedented El Nino-related water crisis could threaten the availability of drinking water in the state over the next six to eight months. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy held a detailed review meeting with his cabinet colleagues. Speaking after this meeting, he cautioned that the state must conserve its limited water resources until the next monsoon. According to the Chief Minister, Telangana has approximately 200,000 million cubic feet of water across its reservoirs, which is less than half of the usual 462,000 million cubic feet for this time of the year. Water availability in the Krishna Basin Reservoir is 72% lower than a year ago, while Godavari Basin Reservoirs have recorded a 42% decline in water availability. Both the Krishna and Godavari Basin Reservoirs are crucial for Telangana's drinking water and agriculture needs. Telangana is not alone. El Nino has put several other states in India on an alert. The water crisis is also looming in Maharashtra, where authorities have already announced a 10% water cut. The state is witnessing unusually warm October, putting further stress on water availability. El Nino is a natural climate pattern that warms the surface of the Pacific Ocean near the equator. This warming changes wind patterns and affects temperatures and rainfall across the world. According to the World Meteorological Organization, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific could rise to 3.7 degrees Celsius above normal between October and December. That would surpass the previous record of 2.6 degrees set during the 2015-16 El Nino. The agency also puts the likelihood of El Nino lasting through February next year at nearly 100%. Now for India, one key concern was the southwest monsoon, which is crucial for agriculture and food safety. El Nino can influence monsoon rainfall and sometimes weaken it, but it does not guarantee a poor monsoon. This year, however, several states across India witnessed deficit in monsoon, triggering droughts in states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. What's particularly concerning is that this is happening against the backdrop of human-caused climate change. El Nino is a natural phenomenon, but it can add to the warming that is already taking place. The result could be higher temperatures across much of the world, increasing pressure on communities that are already dealing with extreme weather. The WMO warns that the effects could be felt across economies, ecosystems and everyday life.