Tuesday, Feb 25, 2003
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Tamil Nadu
By S. Dorairaj
The district All-India Kisan Sabha unit has even threatened to `lay siege' to the office of the TNEB divisional engineer in Panruti on Wednesday for early installation of a new transformer. Electricity Board sources claimed that measures were being taken on a war-footing to replace the `sick' transformer in a fortnight. The issue of `meagre power supply' for farming in the Panruti and the Anna Gramam blocks dominated the farmers' grievances day meeting on Friday last. The agriculturists alleged that failure of one of the two 16-mega volt ampere (MVA)-capacity transformers at the Poongunam sub-station last month affected water supply for irrigation in 350 villages and hamlets using around 8,000 submersible pumpsets. The worst-hit villages include Orayur, Chinnapettai, Tiruthurayur, Korathi, Kandarakottai, Varinjipakkam, Maligampattu, Siruvathur, Semakottai, Maligaimedu, Kumaramangalam, Thattampalayam and Arungunam. Sugarcane, groundnut and paddy raised on over 30,000 acres started wilting and floriculture was also affected for lack of power to operate pumpsets, farmers' representatives claimed. The 14-hour power supply--6 hours during day and 8 hours at the night--took a beating from January 18 as the 16 MVA-capacity transformer went out of order. The duration of supply for three-phase services was scaled down to 6 hours a day. The farmers tried to save the standing crop with the meagre quantum of power made available in rotation. The agriculturists alleged that the TNEB had failed to meet their demand for early replacement of the transformer, while an EB spokesman said efforts were on to instal a new transformer of 25 MVA capacity, in view of heavy drawl of power in the two blocks, mainly for agriculture. The EB authorities also claimed that the transformer became sick mainly because of use of submersible pumps with horsepower over and above the authorised capacity. But the farmers pointed out that based on an assessment made by the PWD (ground water division), both Panruti and Anna Gramam were already declared `dark blocks', where the groundwater potential had been overexploited. Even banks made it clear that no minor irrigation investments involving additional extraction of groundwater through tube-wells or dug-wells, submersible pumpsets, oil engines or deepening of wells could be financed in these blocks. Experts even suggested that replacement of pumpsets and promotion of water management through drip and sprinkler irrigation be taken up there. Admitting that they had been using pumpsets with a higher HP, the farmers said they had to redefine their irrigational strategy in view of mining activities undertaken by the Neyveli Lignite Corporation. Though the previous government cleared the use of higher HP pumps, after levying a penalty of Rs.250 per HP, the present government was reluctant to permit them. The TNEB sources said transformer erection unit personnel from Tiruchi had already arrived at Panruti for replacing the sick unit at Poongunam by March 12. Meanwhile, status quo would be maintained, diverting power from the Arasur and the Sitharasur sub-stations.
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