Chandrapur: Farmers in Chandrapur district have received a major relief amid a prolonged dry spell, with agricultural pumps being provided 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply from Saturday. The decision follows a demand raised by Ballarpur MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar with CM and energy minister Devendra Fadnavis to protect standing kharif crops amid below-normal rainfall.Following the CM’s directions, the Energy Department instructed the concerned offices of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to ensure 12 hours of continuous power supply to agricultural pumps across the district.Several parts of Chandrapur have witnessed a prolonged break in rainfall, reducing soil moisture and raising concerns over crops such as paddy, soybean, cotton, and tur. Farmers have already incurred substantial expenditure on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, cultivation, labour, and irrigation.Mungantiwar had sought uninterrupted power supply as a special measure, arguing that timely irrigation was essential to prevent crop losses and protect farmers from further financial distress.Welcoming the decision, Mungantiwar thanked Fadnavis for promptly responding to his demand. He said the additional power supply would enable farmers to irrigate their standing crops more effectively and help protect their investments during the rainfall deficit.
