Farmers protest in Fatehabad as power outage hits irrigation

Angry over a 15 day power outage affecting tube well supply, farmers from five villages held a strong protest at the Lehrian power station in Bhuna, Fatehabad on Wednesday. The demonstration was organised by the Pagdi Sambhal Jatta farmer organisation.

Farmers from Lehrian, Rehan Kheri, Bhundra, Rasoolpur, and Kani Kheri gathered at the electricity office, raised slogans against the power department, and staged a sit-in at the main gate, demanding immediate action.

The protest began after the villages were left without irrigation due to a burnt transformer at the 33 KV Lehrian power house. Farmers said crops are drying out, and families living in nearby hamlets are suffering due to extreme heat, mosquito infestations, and lack of water for livestock.

Seeing the growing unrest, SDO Amit Kumar reached the spot and assured the protesters that a technical team from Hisar was already working to fix the transformer. He promised that the supply would be restored by Wednesday evening. Following the assurance, the farmers ended their protest. District President Omprakash Manda and Block President Kamal Singh of the farmer union said the situation had become serious. “Our crops are dying, cattle are thirsty, and families are suffering. Yet, the electricity department took no timely action,” they said.

They warned that if the supply is not restored as promised, the agitation will resume on a larger scale.