Decades later, leopard-prone tehsils to get daytime electricity for agriculture

For farmers who have to step out of their homes during the night or early morning hours to water their crops and consequently, face the risk of being attacked by leopards, this has been a long pending demand

Thousands of villagers living in three leopard-prone tehsils of Pune district are set to get three-phase electricity during the daytime, thanks to the upcoming 95-megawatt solar electricity supply project. For farmers who have to step out of their homes during the night or early morning hours to water their crops and consequently, face the risk of being attacked by leopards, this has been a long pending demand.

Leopards are nocturnal animals and are known to prowl around residential areas during the night or early morning hours. (HT PHOTO)

For nearly two decades, farmers in tehsils such as Junnar, Ambegaon and Khed have been seeing human-leopard conflict almost on a regular basis and have been urging the district collector and state government to provide three-phase electricity during the daytime so that they do not have to step outside their homes at odd hours and risk getting attacked by leopards lurking around in the area.

Leopards are nocturnal animals and are known to prowl around residential areas during the night or early morning hours. As per the forest department data, in the last five years from 2020 till 2024, at least 18 people have lost their lives and 27 have been injured in leopard attacks under the jurisdiction of the Junnar forest department with most of these attacks occurring during the night or early in the morning.

The state government’s recent introduction of the ‘Mukhya Mantri Saur Krushi Vahini’ scheme through the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) has brought renewed hope to these tehsils. Accordingly, solar plants will be set up in various villages in these tehsils and electricity generated through the project will be supplied for agricultural purposes through various substations, said Shantaram Bangar, executive engineer, Manchar division.

Nisha Shrikhande, a MSEDCL officer handling land acquisition for the project, said, “In the Netwad and Malwadi villages in Junnar, tree-cutting is underway to set up a solar plant. The majority of the trees being razed are of invasive species. Permission for tree-cutting has been obtained from the forest department. There is some opposition from the villagers in Pimpari-Pendhar and Navaleadi. Efforts are on to convince the villagers of the benefits of this project.”

Even in the Lakhangaon and Chandoli Khurd villages in Ambegaon, there is some opposition from villagers in terms of land acquisition. “We are trying to utilise minimum land so that the project can be started as soon as possible,” said an officer on condition of anonymity.

Lahu Yadav, deputy manager, land department, Avaada Energy, said, “The project aims to provide electricity between 9 am and 5 pm for agricultural purposes. Solar energy falls under green energy and it will not have any adverse impact on human beings and animals in these areas.”

Yadav said that they are trying to overcome the challenges faced in some villages so that the project can be completed as soon as possible.