Sindewahi: Chandrapur district in eastern Vidarbha caters to a significant share of Maharashtra’s power demand, including Mumbai. Yet, farmers in its drought-hit talukas, including Sindewahi, claim they receive only around 12 hours of grid power and are being asked to rely largely on solar energy.Their primary demand is for a round-the-clock power supply to irrigate their fields.The district has four major thermal power plants with a total generation capacity of around 5,000 MW. Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station alone has an operating capacity of 2,920 MW.In Sindewahi village, TOI found farmers struggling to irrigate crops amid acute water scarcity. A farmer, Mangesh Gahane, said the paddy crop on eight out of 10 acres has been largely destroyed. “Chandrapur generates electricity for rest of Maharashtra but its farmers are suffering due to power shortages while solar panels don’t generate enough power to run water pumps long enough,” said Gahane.A woman farmer Nirmal Gajbe and others echoed the concerns. “In winter the sun sets and solar power generation effectively stops by around 4 pm, leaving pumps idle and fields parched. It’s mostly paddy but other crops like cotton too has also taken a hit. We may be unable to meet farm expenses in this situation,” said a farmer.While some have received a paddy bonus, others are still awaiting it.Shiv Sena leader and former deputy chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe, who recently interacted with farmers in the Sindewahi belt, indicated that she would take up the issue with the govt.The distress is part of a wider crisis. Deficient rainfall of around 316 mm (around 30% to 35%) against a normal of about 1,040 mm led the state to declare all 15 talukas of Chandrapur drought-hit under Triggers 1 and 2, said sources. Crop damage assessments covering lakhs of hectares are nearly complete, with compensation of Rs 5,000 announced for eligible farmers.The govt has also offered land revenue and examination-fee waivers, crop loan restructuring, suspension of agri loan recovery, electricity bill relief for pumps (including those above 7.5 HP), and a bar on disconnecting agricultural connections in water-scarce villages.“Water tankers, Employment Guarantee Scheme relaxation and local conservation works such as Vanrai bandharas have been initiated,” said a source, adding that dedicated fodder camps and livestock management measures have also been initiated.Farmers insist that with Chandrapur generating thousands of megawatts and powering other districts with round-the-clock supply, they deserve reliable grid supply to save whatever remains of the kharif crop and prepare for the next season.