Emergency load shedding leaves Purandar villages in dark, children study by torchlight
Farm-feeder power cuts across Purandar taluka villages have disrupted daily life and left children studying by torchlight at night.
Emergency load shedding introduced last week on agricultural pump feeders in the rural parts of Purandar taluka has caused major hardship for people living in the area's hamlets. Repeated power cuts have badly disrupted daily village life, with the most serious impact on children's studies. In several hamlets, children have been seen studying by torchlight at night, raising concerns about their education.
Most of the hamlets in Purandar taluka are located in hilly and orchard areas. Leopard movement in the region has increased over the past few years, and the lack of electricity at night has created fear among villagers. There are concerns that leopards may roam more freely in the dark, making safety a serious issue for farmers and farm labourers. In addition, the risk of snakebite and incidents of theft have made it dangerous for villagers to step out of their homes at night.
Hamlets falling under various gram panchayats in the Walhe, Jeur, Mandki, Harni, Pingori, Pisurti, Suklawadi, Wagdarwadi and Nira areas receive their power supply through agricultural pump feeders. As a result, when emergency load shedding is carried out for farm pumps, it also affects the population living in these farming areas. With no electricity at home at night, elderly people, women and young children are facing serious difficulties. The rising heat and mosquito menace have also raised health concerns for residents.
Meanwhile, rainfall has tapered off in recent days, posing a major challenge for farmers trying to save their standing crops. Despite it being the monsoon season, intense heat similar to summer is being felt, and crops need water. But repeated interruptions in power supply to farm pumps mean crops are not getting watered on time. Despite the fear of leopards, farmers are risking their lives to water their crops at night. The uncertainty in power supply has brought standing crops to the point of drying up, angering farmers.
Villagers are demanding that domestic power supply to gaonthan areas and hamlets not be cut while load shedding is carried out on agricultural pump feeders. They are demanding that night-time power supply be maintained properly to resolve the issues of rural safety and children's education.
