Power outages hit farmers in Zaheerabad

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Frequent and unannounced power cuts are leaving farmers in Zaheerabad struggling to irrigate their fields, with many alleging that the government's promise of 24-hour free power supply exists only on paper. As the monsoon remains weak despite the onset of the rainy season over a month ago, farmers have become increasingly dependent on borewells to save their crops from the scorching heat.

Sugarcane, the region's major crop, requires regular irrigation, but erratic electricity supply has made it difficult for farmers to operate borewell pumps. They complained that three-phase power is being interrupted several times during the day without any fixed schedule. Power is reportedly disconnected in the evening and restored only after midnight, forcing farmers to irrigate fields during odd hours.

Farmers also alleged that low-voltage supply is damaging borewell motors and transformers. Many motors have reportedly overheated and burnt out, with repair costs reaching up to Rs. 10,000 per motor, adding to the financial burden on cultivators already facing drought-like conditions.

They said that the lack of timely rainfall has further worsened the situation, leaving newly sown crops vulnerable to drying up. Farmers expressed disappointment that despite repeated assurances of uninterrupted free electricity, reliable power supply has not reached the fields.