Erratic power supply hits farmers

Kadapa: Power crisis has been escalating day by day in the State causing a crippling impact on farmers, industrialists and small traders in Kadapa district. No farmer is getting the assured power supply in the district. With the electricity officials failing to provide a seven-hour power supply to agricultural pump sets, the standing crops raised in thousands of acres are withering away and farmers are worried about their future. Speaking to The Hans India, Singareddy Ramachandra Reddy, District Rythu Seva Samithi president, said that the farmers were in dire straits and many of them were expressing fear that they might be incurring heavy losses if the situation continued for some more days. Even as the State government directed officials to supply power for seven hours in two spells, farmers complain that they are not getting power even for five hours continuously. Farmers said due to the scanty rainfall this year, the ground water levels depleted at alarming levels forcing them to deepen borewells spending a fortune. But they are not able to draw enough water due to erratic and inadequate power supply.A According to officials, the district needs 8.4 million units per day. However, the discoms are now supplying only 7.5 MU per day. Moreover, with the gap between demand and supply is widening by the day. Local officials have started imposing power cuts to all the sectors. In the Rabi season, the paddy in 1,278 hectares, groundnut in 2,092 hectares, sunflower in 11,266 hectares, pulses in 90,000 hectares and maize in 4,018 hectares were being cultivated in Kadapa district. Moreover, the horticultural crops like fruits and flowers are being raised in thousands of acres of land in the district. With the Government failing to supply the assured power to agricultural pump sets, all the crops are now withering. Meanwhile, the prolonged power cuts are also hitting the industrial units and commercial establishments in Kadapa district. Many of them are on the verge of closure.

Power crisis affects SSIs in Nellore Nellore: The escalating power crisis in the State has hit the common man hard in the district. Many people who are dependent on electricity to eke out their livelihood, especially those who started small scale industries (SSIs) taking loans are facing severe financial hurdles. The frequent and unscheduled power cuts stretching to nearly 5 hours every day in the morning has severely affected the functioning of a timber depot in Sullurpet. Speaking to the media at Sullurpet on Monday, timber depot owner Srinivasulu said the power cuts have affected his punctuality in doing business and he was not in a position to appoint labourers and allot them work. Moreover, he was also cutting a sorry figure before his customers, he lamented. The small time contractors involved in wooden work, were also severely affected due to the power cuts.