: Out in the cold? Not anymore as Madhya Pradesh farmers switch to solar pumps for irrigation #IndiaNEWS #Social <br>The ease of work was particularly evident in recent days when the mercury dipped

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Out in the cold? Not anymore as Madhya Pradesh farmers switch to solar pumps for irrigation #IndiaNEWS #Social
<br>The ease of work was particularly evident in recent days when the mercury dipped to below 10 degree Celsius in Madhya Pradesh. While Gangaram could curl up with a warm quilt, the less fortunate like Ramesh Singh of Pachair in Rajgarh district stayed out in the cold.
Whether it is summer or winter, day or night, we have to irrigate our crops and look after them like our children. If the crop is good, the yield will also be good, and the family will be happy. If you fall ill, you can take medicines. But if the crop fails, nothing will be left of us, says Ramesh, who grows wheat on his 20 bighas where second irrigation is presently on.
Electricity is provided in shifts during the day and night, but Ramesh is constantly worried about disruptions in service. Earlier, fertiliser shortage was keeping us on our toes. Now, irregular power supply gives us sleepless nights, he says.
Farmer Pratap Singh adds that the power supply in rural areas is quite nominal during the day. As a result, when electricity is available at night, water is drawn incessantly from all the tubewells. The government makes many promises, but does not implement even one properly.
Madhya Pradesh government has promised 10 hours of electricity for irrigation, but farmers say they get supply only for three hours as per the schedule issued by the electricity department. In November, a group of farmers held protests against power disruptions, and had sought a change in the supply schedule.
Jawahar Singh of Khajuri Kala village in Bhopal district says erratic power supply and non-availability of manure/fertilisers are common problems they face every year. We have held sit-in protests at the Collectorate and blocked roads, but our problems remain the same. This is in our destiny, he laments.
Districts in the Bhopal division Bhopal, Raisen, Sehore, Vidisha and Rajgarh get electricity from the Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited.
Its Public Relations Officer Manoj Dwivedi tells 101Reporters that the governments intention is to provide 10-hour powersupply for irrigation, but the demand has increased from 444 MW to a maximum of 3,551 MW during the rabi season in 16 districts of the companys Bhopal, Gwalior, Narmadapuram and Chambal divisions. He adds that 8,642 temporary irrigation pump connections have been issued in view of the cropping cycle.
On the measures taken to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply, he says a timetable has been issued, whereby electricity is provided in two batches. For example, in Bhopal division, the first group gets power from 11. 30 pm to 3. 30 am and from 3. 30 pm to 9. 30 pm, while the second group has a 3.

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