Now, erratic power supply hits drought-stricken farmers in Karnataka

Farmers across the state, especially those dependent on pump sets for irrigating their fields, are up in arms against the government and power distribution companies. Power disruption has come as a blow to them who have already been facing problems due to uneven rainfall.

Farmers across the state complain that for the last 15 days, the duration of three-phase power supply has come down from the regular seven hours to three hours and in some places even half an hour. 

A majority of farmers say that the government, through erratic supply of three-phase power for pump sets and borewells, is snatching away their only chance of saving the standing crops.

Farmers of Dharwad, Bagalkot, Belagavi, Vijayanagara, Ballari, Gadag, Haveri, Charamarajanagar have been staging a protest against the power distribution companies for the last several days as their last efforts to save crops such as jowar, green gram, maize, and others.

Kallu Biradar, a farmer from Hipparagi village in Bagalkot district complained that in spite of the Krishna river flowing just a few meters away from his land, he is unable to save marigold on his eight acres of land. He charged that though the government had assured of seven hours of continuous power supply for pump sets, he has been receiving only half an hour or one hour of power supply daily.

“I shifted to marigold keeping in mind the festive season, after groundnut completely failed due to poor monsoon. However, now I am worried as even the marigold plants that are on the verge of flowering are withering. What is hurting us the most is though there is water in the river, we are unable to pump it to our fields without power supply,” he said.

He has taken a loan of Rs 4 lakh from banks and has no means to repay them.

Similar is the situation of Yerriswamy, a paddy cultivator in Kampli’s Shaliganoor village of Ballari, who has almost given up the hope of harvesting yield this season.

“There is no fixed timing to supply power to the pump sets. For the last 15 days, we have received electricity for more than three hours only on three days. The crops have almost dried up,” he said.

“Agriculture officials and electricity supply companies officials ask us not to worry as they will get compensation for the crop loss. The compensation amount is not even 35% to 50% of the total investment by the farmer. Is it possible for the farmers to suffer such a loss and still continue with farming?” asked J Karthik, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha & Hasiru Sene Vijayanagar working president.