With the continuous rise in temperature in Uttar Pradesh, the problem of power cuts has become even more severe. Citizens in urban areas are facing immense difficulties due to tripping, frequent power outages, and low voltage.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh is currently experiencing a severe heatwave, but the situation regarding electricity supply is even more distressing. The state's electricity demand consistently remains above 31,000 megawatts, but the existing supply and infrastructure are unable to cope with this demand. Rural areas, in particular, are receiving 1-2 hours less electricity than the officially scheduled supply, leading to growing public discontent.
Power Outages in Villages Distress Farmers and Households
While the state government claims to provide 18 hours of electricity daily in rural areas, the actual supply is only 17.31 hours. This has severely affected irrigation, causing vegetable crops to wither and small businesses to shut down. Dozens of complaints regarding transformer failures have been reported from districts like Kushinagar, Gonda, Fatehpur, and Ghazipur. In many areas, transformers have remained unreplaced for 4 to 20 days, forcing locals to resort to protests and power sub-station sieges.
Record High Demand, Crumbling Infrastructure
The impact of the heat and humidity on electricity demand in the second week of June was evident:
- June 10 – 31,242 megawatts
- June 11 – 31,486 megawatts
- June 12 – 31,415 megawatts
- June 13 – 31,420 megawatts
Amidst this high demand, the electricity distribution system is collapsing. Low voltage and tripping are commonplace in urban areas, while prolonged power outages in rural areas are disrupting daily life.
Increase in Cable and Transformer Failures
Incidents of transformer failures and cable melting are rapidly increasing across the state. Officials attribute this to transformers constantly operating beyond their capacity, with inadequate cooling mechanisms. As a result, feeder-wise cuts have become necessary to prevent large-scale damage. Junior engineers in the electricity department face a double bind.
They face warnings about action for transformer failures from higher authorities, while simultaneously dealing with the anger of the local population. Many engineers reported avoiding transformer replacements due to concerns about increased accountability if a high number of reports are filed.
Complaints, But No Solutions
- Gonda: A burnt-out transformer in Dharmei village has remained unattended for three days.
- Kushinagar: A resident of KaptaanGanj reported a faulty transformer four days ago, with no resolution yet.
- Ghazipur: Dayalpur village has been without power for four days due to a faulty transformer that hasn't been replaced.
- Fatehpur: A faulty transformer in Amour village has remained unrepaired for 20 days, prompting farmers to prepare for protests.
UP Power Corporation officials claim that electricity supply is being provided according to a regulated roster, but the ground reality is quite different. While officials acknowledge only half-hour cuts, local faults in rural areas persist for hours.
