Restore power supply to tubewells, cotton growers urge PSPCL

Mansa, April 18

Farmers of the Punjab Kisan Union (PKU) submitted a memorandum to the PSPCL officials, seeking the restoration of the power supply to tubewells so that cotton sowing can be started on time.

The farm union leaders said wheat harvesting and the subsequent residue management had been completed and the PSPCL must start providing eight-hour uninterrupted supply to tubewells now. Notably, during the wheat harvesting season, a number of farm fire incidents get reported every year. So as preventive measure, the PSPCL temporarily stops electricity supply to tubewells around this time.

Union leader Gora Singh Bhaini Bagha said, “We met the PSPCL executive engineer of Mansa and submitted a memorandum, requesting him to restore the electricity supply to tubewells as wheat harvesting and the stubble management has been completed. Apart from cotton sowing, water is also required for irrigating the green fodder for livestock. Moreover, electricity supply is quite erratic in residential areas in many villages of the district. We also demand that uninterrupted electricity supply be given to rural areas as well.”

“We have also demanded that private electricity transformers be taken into the ambit of the government sector so if there is damage, farmers won’t have to face any problem. Moreover, the pending electricity connections to tubewells must be given soon. The PSPCL executive engineer Mansa have assured us that required steps will be taken in next three to four days in order to provide eight-hour uninterrupted electricity supply to tubewells and other pending demands will also be taken up on a priority basis,” he added.

Notably, the cotton sowing season has already started and water supply from the Kotla branch canal, which caters to dozens of villages in Bathinda and Mansa districts, remains suspended owing to cleaning work.