Resource detail

The Telangana government launched a round-the-clock power supply to the state’s 2.3 million farmers free of cost, but power experts and opposition parties said that the scheme might result in its misuse and large-scale exploitation of groundwater. Transmission Corporation of Telangana Ltd’s chairperson and managing director D Prabhakar Rao and Southern Discom MD Raghuma Reddy formally launched the scheme at Pothaipalli village of Shamirpet mandal in Medchal Malkajgiri district at 12.01am. The free power supply will now be available for 23 lakh agricultural pump sets. The electricity supply is crucial to farmers who use motorised pumps to irrigate their fields and largely depend on groundwater due to lack of canal irrigation. Distribution companies at present are able to meet a maximum power demand of 9,500 MW to agriculture sector during peak hours of the day. Transco officials have said that at least 1,500-2,000 MW of additional power is required to meet increasing demand and implement the free-power programme.