Guj: Farmers in "dark zone" can get power connection without

The Gujarat Government said Saturday that farmers in 57 'Dark Zone' talukas, where groundwater level is critically low, will not need to adopt micro-irrigation for obtaining electricity connections.

The decision was taken in view of insufficient rainfall this monsoon which has created a drought-like situation in many areas, said an official press release.

"It will not be mandatory for farmers in 57 talukas under the Dark Zone to adopt drip or sprinkler method of irrigation for getting electricity connections for farms," it said.

In 2003, the government decided that no electricity connection will be given to farmers in 57 talukas due to critically low groundwater levels in these areas.

In 2012, the government said it will provide connections, provided the farmers used micro-irrigation systems to limit the water consumption.

These talukas fall in the districts of Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Kutch, Kheda, Mehsana, Rajkot and Sabarkantha.

The government earlier this year declared 51 talukas as scarcity-hit due to scanty rainfall, and decided to provide financial assistance to farmers in another 45 talukas. Gujarat received only 76.72 per cent rainfall in 2018 monsoon.