The three-phase power supply for farm connections has run into low voltage problems in some areas in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts from the start of this month.
After polling concluded on April 6, power supply to farm connections in some rural pockets, such as areas served by rural feeders around Kumbakonam and Orathanadu taluks, started suffering low voltage problems though a 24-hour power supply was being maintained by the Tangedco.
The number of hours of power supply to farm connections which was maintained at around 20 hours a day 15 years ago was subsequently reduced by six hours when the State reeled under severe shortage in power generation some years back. It was further reduced by two hours subsequently when the power generation capacity improvement works were implemented a decade ago, according to official sources.
Pointing out that fluctuations or low voltage in the power supply would damage agriculture pump sets, the secretary, Thanjavur District Cavuery Farmers Protection Association, Sundara Vimalanathan urged the Tangedco officials to ensure power supply was maintained in appropriate voltage in order to avoid damages to the submersible agriculture pumps.
Otherwise it would end up in farmers spending more than ₹10,000 to repair the damaged pumps and as well as facing a piquant situation of leaving the standing crop without water for three to four days, he added.
Claiming that low voltage problems were not rampant in Tiruvarur district, the president, Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Nalasangam, Tiruvarur, G. Sethuraman said farmers in Tiruvarur district have tilled their lands for summer cultivation and a few farmers having lift irrigation facilities had already taken up transplantation.
A progressive farmer, Ramachandran of Orathanadu suggested that power supply at correct voltage can be ensured for at least 18 to 20 hours a day by adopting a turn system in distribution, if the technical problems in the feeder system causing low voltage could not be rectified on a war footing,
Meanwhile, senior officials in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts said that low voltage problem did exist in some parts of the two districts. Pointing out that necessary steps had been initiated to step-up the voltage in affected areas, the officials said that around 65,000 live farm power connections exist in Thanjavur district and around 21,000 in Tiruvarur district.
Meanwhile, M. H. Jawahirullah, leader of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate for the Papanasam Assembly Constituency, has claimed that the farmers in delta districts who have taken up early ‘kuruvai’ cultivation in about one lakh acres of land in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts trusting the election assurance given by the Chief Minister, Edappadi K.Palaniswami that 24-hours power supply would be provided to farm connections, have found themselves in a piquant situation.
The crop raised by them using lift irrigation facilities were in danger as they were unable to maintain the necessary water level in the fields as the 24-hour three-phase power supply had been suspended after the polling, he said.
