Patan Afzal Babu Hyderabad

Althoughsuccessive governments have claimed that the irrigation facilities in the state have “improved” and cite the construction of new projects and completion of existing projects, particularly after the formation of Telangana state in 2014, the galling reality is that most farmers are inexorably dependent on agricultural pumpsets for the farming needs. No wonder, the number of active pumpsets has increased from 19 lakh to a whopping 30.60 lakh in just 12 years. Over the last two years alone, two lakh new pumpsets have been sanctioned for meeting farming needs.

As per official data, the total number of agricultural pumpsets in December 2023, when the Bharatiya Rasthtra Samithi stepped down from power, was 28,69,441. A total number of 30,60,821 pumpsets were functioning in the state as of August 2026. More than 10,000 applications are still pending with the Energy Department for clearance.

In all, 15,65,981 pumpsets were given connection with free power supply by the TGNPDCL (Northern Power Distribution Company Limited) to farmers in old Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad and Medak districts. The TGSPDCL is supplying free power to as many as 14,94,840 pumpsets in old Nalgonda, Khammam, Rangareddy, Mahbubnagar, and some parts of Hyderabad.Officials of the Energy Department attributed several reasons for the increasing number of pumpsets, more so after the formation of the Telangana state. The medium and large farmers, owning more than five acres of agricultural land, are focusing on cultivating more crops by using pumpsets. Many of these farmers are adopting multi-crops, along with paddy, during the dry season. This could be the main reason for the increasing use of pumpsets. The small farmers too, worried over the decreasing prospects of available irrigation water reaching their end, prefer pumpsets, instead of waiting indefinitely for completion of various irrigation projects.

Officials said that fast-changing weather conditions over the last five years and the far-reaching threat of the dry season over the last two years, could be the main reason for the spike in the number of pumpsets by two lakh.

Farmers have been getting regular alerts on the rains and the El Nino conductions in recent times. Fearing non-availability of irrigation facilities during the dry spell, officials said, farmers were knocking on the doors of the Energy Department for new agricultural pumpset connections.

Energy wing officials have warned that the number of pumpsets could increase to 35 lakh over the next three years if weather conditions don’t turn conducive

Energy expert and member of the State Advisory Committee to Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission M Venugopala Rao said that the increasing number of pumpsets is the result of the increasing agriculture-related activities.

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