The States of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tripura still have significant ground to make up to have segregated agricultural power feeders, a NITI Aayog report has observed.
Out of the nine States that have segregated agricultural power feeders, four—Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh—have achieved or are close to achieving 100% segregation, it mentioned.
Given the dual benefits of feeder segregation for farmers and rural households, and the national push towards reliable electricity supply in rural areas, it is critical for the remaining States to implement this reform in a timely fashion, it observed.
The Chhattisgarh Government under Kishan Jivan Jyoti Yojana provides free electricity, 6000 units per year to 0-3 HP pumps & 7500 unit per year to 3-5 HP pumps. In addition to this, free power is also provided to SC/ST HH and beneficiaries falling under Uthan Yojna (to pump sets installed under the scheme). Remaining HH and electricity used beyond free units are charged at fixed rates, it informed.
Meanwhile, States that have already achieved the objective can explore the idea of provision of grid electricity through renewable sources, such as solar generation plants, to mitigate the emissions impact of increased electrification.
Similarly, only nine States reported having segregated agricultural power feeders, a task that is crucial to both check groundwater extraction and provide reliable household rural electricity. While most States reported pricing electricity to tube wells and pumps, either through fixed payments or metered connections, high subsidies remain an entrenched problem, the report mentioned.
It is critical to move agricultural water use towards a more efficient and sustainable path. Currently, the populous northern states, which account for 20-30% of India’s agricultural output, face high to extreme water stress, posing a significant food security and livelihood risk for the country. The government can mitigate this risk and improve the country’s water-efficiency in agriculture by accelerating the proposed DBT scheme for micro-irrigation subsidies, it informed.
Feeder segregation has two key benefits-- First, by allowing independent control of power supply to farms and to non-farm users (households, hospitals, etc.), it ensures that non-farm users are not affected by surges in agricultural demand.
Since farm electricity can be switched-off and controlled without affecting non-farm users, they receive reliable, uninterrupted electricity throughout the day. Consequently, the second benefit is that farmers can be promised a window for reliable electric supply instead of erratic power throughout the day, allowing them to irrigate in a targeted and effective manner. The Central government is pushing this agenda through DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana), the country’s $12 billion rural electrification scheme.