With the State facing deficit monsoon this year, hydroelectricity generation has dwindled, leaving the farmers and public distraught.

The farmers, who are already worried as the crops are withering, are upset as Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (Cesc) has decided to introduce unscheduled load shedding.

Mandya, being a green belt, has a huge demand for electricity. The power crisis is looming large with the Cesc not able to balance the demand and supply.

The district requires 200 to 250 Mega Watt power every day. But because of insufficient rain, power generation is affected and only 80 to 90 MW is available, which has to be utilised for both agriculture and domestic purposes.

Load shedding
To manage the situation, Cesc introduced load shedding for three phase power, supplied to irrigation pump sets. Earlier, the consumers in the district used to get six to seven hours of three phase power every day. This has been reduced to five hours since two days; from Monday, four-hour load shedding — two hours during the day and two hours at night, a Cesc official said.

However, farmers complained that it is not possible to switch on the pump sets at night times. Moreover, two-hour power during the day is not sufficient as power is not supplied continuously for two hours.

Huge difference
With a huge difference in demand and supply, load shedding has been extended to urban areas also. Those who have power connection through Niranthara Vidyuth Jyothi scheme will get 16 to 17 hour power supply and the rest will have to be managed with just six hours power supply.

The urban counterparts will suffer six-hour load shedding. This will directly affect drinking water supply and also students, as the rural areas plunge into darkness in the evening. The Cesc, however, has not announced the schedule for load shedding.