Dankaur Farmers Demand Urgent Rural Power Infrastructure Overhaul
Amid rising electricity needs and deteriorating infrastructure, farmers from Dankaur in western Uttar Pradesh have voiced pressing demands for urgent upgrades to the rural power supply network. Representing more than 30 villages near the YEIDA region, they submitted a formal appeal to energy department officials, citing transformer overloading, unsafe high-voltage lines, and poor-quality cables and poles as ongoing threats to both safety and livelihoods. With increased rural electricity consumption, especially during the monsoon and summer months, villagers are demanding an overhaul of outdated systems and more accountable power governance.
The farmers raised critical concerns over transformer capacity, highlighting how current 10–12 kV units are insufficient to support growing household and agricultural electricity consumption. Many homes have adopted air conditioning and coolers, drastically raising peak demand, while villages remain equipped with only a handful of low-capacity transformers. Community members pointed out that villages housing thousands of people continue to rely on a limited number of decades-old transformers, which frequently fail under pressure. They demanded an immediate upgrade to 25 kV systems to ensure uninterrupted power for domestic use and irrigation. Residents also highlighted significant safety risks posed by crumbling poles and exposed high-voltage lines. Farmers warned that rusting infrastructure has made power lines prone to collapse, and 11,000-volt transmission lines running through residential areas present constant dangers, especially during rains.
In response, they demanded the removal or relocation of these high-voltage lines and the replacement of degraded poles and cables with insulated, weather-resistant alternatives. Their demands also included the replacement of faulty transformers within 24 hours of failure to avoid disruptions to farming operations and daily life. Another major concern raised was the ongoing installation of smart meters in rural areas. Farmers alleged that the meters produced fluctuating readings, leading to inflated bills and disputes. They called for a halt to the programme until these concerns were resolved, asserting that smart metering was being introduced without adequate community awareness or testing. Additionally, there were complaints that despite government waivers on electricity bills for tube wells, many farmers continue to receive inflated invoices, compounding their financial burdens and raising doubts about policy implementation on the ground.
Power officials, while acknowledging the concerns, assured the community of necessary surveys and protocol-based action. They promised to evaluate transformer capacity and inspect faulty infrastructure, pending approvals. However, residents remain sceptical, demanding timelines and transparency in execution. With rural energy infrastructure increasingly falling short of the region’s developmental needs, the calls from Dankaur farmers reflect a broader demand for equitable access to safe, sustainable power in India’s growing hinterlands.
