Telangana: Farmers suffer from unofficial power cuts in Karimnagar

Farmers in Karimnagar, already hit by poor rainfall, face unofficial power cuts, with supply reduced to 14–15 hours a day. Heavy reliance on borewells for paddy irrigation is causing voltage drops, motor burnouts, and increased financial strain

KARIMNAGAR: Farmers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district, who were already hit by poor rainfall, are now grappling with unofficial power cuts in the agriculture sector.

Despite the State government’s claim of providing 24-hour free and uninterrupted electricity to farmers, the actual supply is only 14 to 15 hours a day, farmers say. Frequent fluctuations in supply are compounding the problem.

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Farmers, who had delayed sowing during the early Vanakalam season due to inadequate rainfall, began cultivation after showers in the last week of July. While some have completed planting, others are still drawing water from agricultural wells and borewells to continue sowing.

Paddy is the main crop, with the agriculture department estimating cultivation in 2.76 lakh acres across the district. However, the return of dry conditions has forced farmers to depend heavily on borewells for both planting and irrigation. Since paddy requires large quantities of water, the demand for electricity has risen sharply.

Electricity department officials are allegedly imposing power cuts between 5 pm and 2.30 am, reducing availability to just 14 to 15 hours daily. Sudden shutdowns occur when multiple pump sets are switched on simultaneously, leading to voltage drops and motor burnouts. This, the farmers said, adds further financial strain on them on account of repair costs.