Centre on monsoon flu alert

Six more per sons tested positive for the A-H1N1 swine flu virus in different parts of the country on Sunday, the largest number in a single day. The total number of confirmed infections in India now stands at 23.

Three of these were in Hyderabad, two in Bengaluru and one — a schoolboy from Jalandhar just returned with a school group from the US — in New Delhi.

The Union health ministry held a high-level review meeting with officials of the National Disaster Management Authority and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases to ensure the disease does not spread with the monsoon looming.

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Late rains hit water

The weak monsoon has started affecting drinking water supply in many towns and municipalities of the state.

All major reservoirs except Nagarjuna Sagar have stopped releasing water after levels plummeted to below minimum draw down levels.

The Krishna and Godavari basins have also dried up as the monsoon did not yield expected rains and water level in the crucial Srisailam reservoir has reached the lowest in last four years.

Last year, Srisailam reservoir had 227 TMC ft water at 882.2 ft level, but it has dwindled to an alarming 808.60 ft now with only 56 TMC ft water in store.

With no inflows into the reservoir, power generation has been stopped and outflows have been completely halted.

Similarly, the Jurala reservoir has water levels of 40.47 TMC ft against last year’s 100 TMC ft.

At Nagarjuna Sagar, the water level plunged to 540 ft against 590 ft Full Reservoir Level (FRL). But it remains the only source for the Krishna Basin with about 50 TMC ft water available for drinking needs.

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Has rain god ditched Cheif Minister?

The delayed monsoon is giving the jitters to the ruling Congress especially because of the possibility of early Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

If the rains continue to play truant, the party will have to fight Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in a State reeling under drought, a prospect it does not relish. Andhra Pradesh has 42 Lok Sabha seats which may turn out to be crucial in the numbers game.

The only comforting factor for the Congress is that the opposition is in disarray and not in a position to cash in on the failure of the monsoon.

Leaders are leaving Telugu Desam in hordes, the Telangana Rastra Samiti has been marginalised, and the parties of actor Chiranjeevi and T.Devender Goud are yet to be launched.

Politically, the Congress still holds the trump card.

“We are still hopeful of good rains,” said the agriculture minister, Mr N.Raghuveera Reddy. “But a drought during election year will certainly affect the government.”

Asked if the rain gods had withdrawn support to the state government after four years, Mr Raghuveera Reddy quipped: “Absolutely not. They are with us and will always be with us.” Ever since the Congress government returned to power under the leadership of Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the state has had good rains.

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