BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said farmers in the state will get seven hours of staggered power supply. Earlier in September, when the state was in the grip of power crises, the government had said irrigation pump sets (IP sets) would get five hours of staggered power supply. This year, the demand for power from the agriculture sector has gone up 119% as compared to last year, the government pointed out.
The decision to supply seven-hour power was taken at the energy department review meeting, held in Bengaluru which was chaired by Siddaramaiah Energy Minister KJ George. In some parts of the state, the government is looking at cropping patterns and demand to supply power. Especially in areas where sugarcane and paddy crops are being grown, officials were told to supply uninterrupted power for seven hours to farmers.
“The state needs 600 MW of power per hour and 14 million units per day to provide seven-hour power to IP sets. The government has to bear a cost of Rs 1,500 crore which will be met through savings and redistribution of grants. But power needs to be supplied to ease the burden on farmers,” the chief minister said at the meeting.
Officials told Siddaramaiah that steps are being taken to solarise IP sets and feeders supplying power to IP sets. Tenders have been called to ensure better power supply to farmers during daylight hours by next year, they added.
As compared to the 2022 financial year, there has been a 43% rise in power consumption in the state. In October 2023, Karnataka recorded the highest power consumption of 15,978 MW, which is 45% higher than last year. The agriculture sector also recorded a 55% rise compared to last year, while other sectors recorded a 9-14% rise in demand.
“The IP sets contribute to a lion’s share in increased demand for power. The rise is due to poor monsoon, increased usage of IP sets by farmers and recovery of economic activity post-pandemic,” the officials said at the meeting.
It was noted that production at Raichur and Ballari thermal power plants has increased after the last review meeting. The department is purchasing power from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh under the energy-swapping policy to meet the demand.