Chandigarh, Aug 14 - The Punjab electricity board has imposed compulsory power cuts, often up tp 16 hours, across the state including urban areas to ensure electricity for farmers.

Additionally, it has also imposed a continuous 72-hour power cut every week for industrial units.

A power board official said about 60 percent of Punjab's farmers are dependent on rains for irrigation, but the weak monsoon this year has led to less water being released from Bhakra dam.

'This has hit paddy transplantation. We have to ensure at least six to eight hours of power supply for farmers, and have to do this with very limited resources. We cannot avoid power cuts for at least another month,' he added.

The decision, in the height of summer, however, has left consumers - average citizens and industry - fuming.

'What is strange is that during the elections, there was no problem, but the situation suddenly changed after that,' said Anuradha Bhasin, a government employee and a resident of Dera Bassi town, some 25 km.