Telangana irrigation department seeks power tariff relief for lift schemes
HYDERABAD:Â Officials of the Telangana Irrigation Department on December 23 wrote to the Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission, seeking major concessions on electricity charges for lift irrigation schemes.
Demand charges, tariff termed high for LIS
In the letter, the department proposed waiving demand charges for lift irrigation schemes (LIS), stating that the ₹6.30 per unit power tariff was high for government-operated irrigation projects.
Officials said LIS operate only for about 45 to 60 days during the monsoon, while pumping stations remain largely idle for the remaining 10 months. They pointed out that power demand on the grid is generally lower during the monsoon.
Call to run LIS during hydro power availability
The department suggested operating LIS primarily when hydro power is available, which would help optimise power use.
It also estimated that the operation of LIS would lead to large-scale shutdown of farmers’ pump sets, potentially reducing agricultural power consumption by 25% to 40%. Officials argued that the same tariff applicable to farmers should be extended to LIS.
According to the letter, lift irrigation schemes could play a key role in maintaining grid stability, the irrigation department added.
