Power cuts hit farmers, crops at risk

Raipur | Correspondent: Farmers across the state are struggling with power cut issues leading to prevention from running water pumps which are important for irrigation.

As a result, many fields are drying up, and crops are suffering during a critical period when they require sufficient water.

With the monsoon leaving the state and no rain in most areas for the past two weeks, the fields are drying up fast.

Farmers rely on agricultural pumps and borewells to water their crops, but frequent power cuts, low voltage, and line issues are preventing the pumps from working properly.

Electricity department officials have blamed the problem on increased demand, as many farmers are running their pumps around the clock to keep their fields irrigated.

This has led to frustration, with some farmers in Saja and Dhamdha even protesting at local electricity offices.

Farmers forced to stay up all night

Most farmers have planted Swarna paddy, a variety that takes longer to grow.

The crop is now in a critical stage and needs water for the next 20 days.

Without borewells, some farmers are using water from rivers, canals, and drains, but the power cuts are making this difficult.

The electricity company claims that farmers are getting 18 hours of power daily, but farmers say they only receive 5-6 hours.

In some areas, power is available for agricultural pumps only between 11 PM and 8 AM, forcing farmers to stay awake all night to water their fields.

Electricity officials acknowledge the issues, pointing to a new project separating domestic and agricultural power lines as a cause of some disruptions.

Increased load on agricultural pumps

Electricity department officials have reported a surge in the load on agricultural pumps in recent days, leading to higher electricity consumption on the feeders supplying these pumps.

Farmers are operating pumps continuously, day and night, to irrigate their fields, which has resulted in an increase in system faults.

To manage this increased demand, the department has implemented a rotational supply of electricity to agricultural pumps.

Additionally, household electricity consumption has risen due to the use of air conditioners, coolers, and fans in the humid heat, further straining the system.