Agricultural Pump Use Drives Spike in Electricity Demand in Telangana

Telangana is experiencing an unprecedented rise in electricity demand due to the extensive use of agricultural pump‑sets, the chief minister A. Revant Reddy reported on Thursday. October’s power requirement jumped from the usual 15,000 MW to 20,003 MW, a rise of about 5,000 MW attributed mainly to the operation of roughly 3 million pump‑sets across the state.

The surge comes as the state grapples with severe water scarcity caused by an intense El Niño episode. Reservoirs in the Krishna basin hold 72% less water than last year, and overall basin levels are down 40%. Monsoon rainfall was 23% below normal, leaving only 200 TMc of water against the typical 462 TMc.

Reddy appealed to citizens and farmers to use water and electricity judiciously. He emphasized that drinking water must reach 24,000 villages, and that the limited reserves should be managed prudently for both domestic consumption and irrigation.

To safeguard standing crops before the monsoon harvest, the government is procuring power at prevailing market rates, expecting to secure the needed supply within about twenty days.