VSDB for no power cuts in Vidarbha districts
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| Published in 'The Hitavada' on February 5, 2013 |
Reconsider power cuts
in distts with less use
of power for
agricultural purposes: VSDB
n For agricultural connections in Vidarbha, load-shedding of
power is for eight hours in day time or 10 hours at night
Vidarbha Statutory Development Board (VSDB) has urged the Government to reconsider implementation of load-shedding of power in districts with less-than-State-average consumption of power for agricultural purposes.
Most of these districts with lesser consumption of power for
agricultural purposes than other parts of Maharashtra, are in Vidarbha.
According to sources in Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company
Limited (MSEDCL), load-shedding is being implemented for eight hours in day
time or 10 hours are night to agricultural connections in Vidarbha. According
to MSEDCL officials, situation in Maharashtra and Gujarat in this regard was
better than that in other states in the country. “Other states have
load-shedding for longer hours in case of agricultural connections,” said an
official.
However, according to VSDB, all areas are being subjected to
power cuts in case of agricultural connections without considering consumption
of power. In different parts of Maharashtra, consumption of power for agricultural
purposes vary. According to data compiled by VSDB, 62.09 per cent of total
power consumed for agricultural connections is reported in districts in Western
Maharashtra. It is 25.57 per cent in Marathwada and only 12.33 per cent in case
of Vidarbha region. It is clear from the data that 11 districts of Vidarbha
region put together consume much less power than other parts of the State, for
agricultural purposes.
The main reason behind less power consumption in Vidarbha
region for agricultural purposes is ‘huge backlog’ in energisation of
agricultural pump sets. In this regard, MSEDCL has been stating that backlog in
energisation of agricultural pump sets is persisting due to ‘lack of demand’ in
six districts with backlog in Vidarbha region. To this, Governor of Maharashtra
had asked MSEDCL officials at district level to take up a campaign in mission
mode for generating demand. In fact, Governor had asked the District Planning
Committees to review progress in this regard. Now, VSDB has urged the Government
to reconsider load-shedding in districts in Vidarbha region.
Also, VSDB has made some suggestions to bring consumption of
electricity for agricultural pump sets up to the State average, and to increase
crop production in Vidarbha region. The major suggestion is to conduct camps,
workshop, and village-wise group discussions with the help of Agriculture
Department and MSEDCL for land-holding families, to make use of agricultural
pump sets for increasing crop production.
----------------------BOX I------------------------
Divison-wise power
consumption
for agricultural
purposes in State
------------------------------
Division Cropped
Area Power consumption %age to State average
------------------------------
Konkan 8,78,400 Ha 85.52 MU 0.53
Nashik 36,57,900
Ha 5,242.51 MU 32.48
Pune 36,63,000
Ha 46,950.56 MU 29.09
Aurangabad 47,56,280
Ha 4,128.21 MU 25.57
Amravati 31,37,600
Ha 1,434.11 MU 8.88
Nagpur
------------------------------
----------------------BOX II------------------------
District-wise power
consumption
for agricultural
purposes in Vid
------------------------------
District Cropped
Area Power consumption %age to State average
------------------------------
Nagpur
Wardha 3,81,000
Ha 101.58 MU 0.63
Bhandara/
Gondia
Chandrapur 4,74,400
Ha 54.32 MU 0.34
Gadchiroli 1,85,500
Ha 41.31 MU 0.26
Amravati 7,51,100
Ha 389.99 MU 2.42
Buldhana 7,01,500
Ha 372.65 MU 2.31
Akola/
Washim 8,27,100
Ha 316.74 MU 1.96
Yavatmal 8,57,900
Ha 354.73 MU 2.20
-
------------------------------
Total 51,03,800
Ha 1,991.23 MU 12.33
-
------------------------------
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