Irregular, low-pressure power supply leaves farmers helpless; crops dry despite water availability. Mahavitaran’s mismanagement forces many toward solar pumps as heat rises and irrigation becomes critical.
Pune: Unreliable power supply in Ambegaon Tehsil (Manchar) from Mahavitaran has pushed farmers into distress across the region. Though water is available, the erratic and low-pressure electricity has made it nearly impossible to run agricultural pumps consistently, leaving crops to dry under the scorching summer heat.
Farmers receive eight hours of electricity—split between day and night across the week—but the actual supply is frequently interrupted or arrives at such low voltage that pumps fail to start. This disruption comes at a critical time when the temperature in tehsils has soared beyond 40°C, making timely irrigation essential.
The end of the sugarcane crushing season has only added to the urgency as farmers try to sustain their other crops. However, irregular supply and poor service response have compounded their troubles. Calls to Mahavitaran often go unanswered, and staff shortages in many offices have slowed down maintenance and support work.
Despite a 7.5 HP electricity exemption, no permanent solution has been offered yet. Frustrated by the lack of dependable electricity, many farmers are now turning their attention to solar-powered pumps as an alternative.
Until Mahavitaran addresses these systemic issues, farmers fear increasing losses—not just of crops, but also of their livelihoods.
Every season, a farmer prepares his land hoping that the system and environment will be friendly. However, the man-made challenges truly shatter him even if he would be ready to battle the rain, pests, and soil. There is water, but no power to pull it from the well. Although it arrives poor and sporadic, electricity is guaranteed. With 40°C temperatures already, the weather is already severe; now, the basic right to irrigate is being denied—not owing to drought but rather due to mismanagement.
Market pricing fool farmers even if they somehow negotiate the vagaries of climate. Throw in the weight of loans, delayed subsidies, rising input prices, and now, uneven electricity supply, and one wonders—how many conflicts must a farmer fight to produce food for this country? They are directed to update. But specifically how? With blown-up transformers and without line workers? With undelivered complaint calls and a system always pushing people to their limit?
One can easily call the farmer as the foundation of the nation. But the whole system suffers when apathy and carelessness compromise its fundamental backbone. The inquiry now is “How are farmers still standing,” not “Why are they protesting