Bending to pressure, K'taka's HESCOM plans a 6-hr 3-phase power supply

Hubballi: In good news, farmers coming under the Hubballi Electricity Supply Company Limited (Hescom) jurisdiction will get a six-hour three-phase electricity supply every day. This decision of Hescom has brought cheer among the farmers of the drought-hit districts in the region.

Following the drought situation in the State, most of the water bodies do not have sufficient water for power production and even wind, solar, and thermal power production has been affected. As a result, power production in the State has been badly hit, and power cuts have become a routine affair in the region.

The decision of Hescom to supply six-hour three-phase power to farmers came after the direction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Energy Minister K J George as so far only around four hours of three-phase power was being supplied.

In a recently held meeting, the CM and Energy Minister directed all the ESCOMs to supply five-hour three-phase power to farmers in the State. However, Hescom has decided to supply five to six hours of power supply to farmers of Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Gadag, Haveri, and Uttara Kannada districts.

Farmers at the receiving end

Farmers, whose crops such as sugarcane, paddy, and horticulture crops which were almost ready for harvesting, badly needed water at this stage of growth. But, power cuts have affected them. Therefore, many farmers staged protests and gheraoed the Hescom offices in Dharwad, Vijayapura, and other districts, demanding an 8-hour 3-phase power supply, that too in the daytime. 

HESCOM Managing Director M Roshan said, they require six crore units of power every day including 2.8 crore units for Irrigation Pump sets of farmers. Now, they are being supplied 5.6 crore units of power per day, and they are supplying around five hours of three-phase power supply to farmers. Followed by the CM and Energy Minister's direction, Hescom will supply six hours of three-phase power to farmers, he noted.

According to Hescom, they will supply six hours of power to farmers for their sugarcane, paddy, and horticulture crops. They have already held meetings with respective district elected representatives, deputy commissioners, locals, and farmers, and they will supply power for six hours, he said.

As sugarcane is ready for harvesting, they will not need more power supply for irrigation, and consumption will come down. Once the sugar factories are opened, they will also produce power and it will help in power supply.

As of now, the government has been purchasing power from Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The power problem will be solved in the next few days.

Protest

Meanwhile, the members of Ratna Bharat Raita Samaja staged a protest in front of the Hescom headquarters at Navanagar in the City on Wednesday demanding 10-hour three-phase power supply to the farmers.

They alleged the Hescom has been supplying only five-hour three-phase power to farmers that too in the nights. As the drought situation has prevailed, Hescom should supply adequate power to farmers to grow crops, they said.

If Hescom fails to supply 10-hour power to farmers within next two weeks, we will stage agitation in front of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, said Samaja national vice-president Hemanagouda.