While the truant monsoon continues to worry farmers across Telangana — since agriculture is largely rain-fed — dependence on the irrigation system may be the last hope for kharif now.
But that alternative too is grim for farmers in Nalgonda as they cannot access electricity. And it appears, only the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited along with the State government can assure their season now. According to official figures, as on July 20, there are 20,859 farmers in the old undivided Nalgonda district who had applied for power connections under ‘agriculture service’ and got their sanctions approved, but still lack a connection on the field.
Huzurnagar and Miryalaguda that are located in the Nagarjunasagar ayacut area have the most pending connections with 7,600 and 5,286 farmers. And rightly, lack of rains, required water in the project or delay in water release combined with inability to access electricity for irrigation will directly impact kharif, lament ayacut farmers.
Choutuppal and Bhongir have the least service pending for 415 and 800 farmers respectively. But why isn’t Telangana’s 24x7 free power supply reaching Nalgonda farmers? The answer is short: insufficient supply of poles or the eight-metre pre-stressed cement concrete (pscc) poles, that support transmission of power. Officials say there is sufficient supply of transformers and conductors, but there are a few thousand poles for a requirement of nearly 60,000. “It has been a never-ending phenomenon, for almost years now”.
Figures by the ADE, District Stores of undivided Nalgonda, say the district’s latest need is 58,806 poles, and the average supply has been about 12,000 per month. But according to Superintending Engineer Pappula Krishnaiah, “There is no shortage of supply, only the demand is rationalised.”
Damaged poles
“On May 11 alone, 246 poles were damaged due to gales, and the total damage in that month were 491 and 418 in June. Apart from such situations, priority is also given to Below Poverty Line household connections under various schemes,” the SE explained. Operational emergencies, he added, also demand distribution of intermediate poles when the lines are sagging, among other reasons. However, one of the major reasons for low supply of poles vis-a-vis the demand, officials believe is pending payments to pole contractors. “TSSPDCL or other companies have one go-to company in the State that has been providing quality poles, but now the government owes it huge money. It is an open secret,” several officials say, but on condition of anonymity.
But for all farmers, whether rains from above or works by the department is the need of the hour, and time is running out fast.
“Erection of poles and drawing lines through the fields will not be possible once we start sowing the seed and the crop is growing. We may have to miss the whole season, it’s all in their hands now,” says a helpless Satyapal Reddy, who was at the SE’s office enquiring his connection status.
