Power outages amid scorching heat add to people's miseries in several states

Apr 30, 2022

New Delhi [India], April 30 : Power outages amid scorching heat have made people's lives miserable in several states.
A wheat businessman from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur complained about power cuts in the city and said that it is leading to financial losses.

"We have a wheat chakki (grinder). There are frequent power cuts because of which our electricity bill rises. When we restart our machine after the power is back, the meter reading increases. The frequent power cuts have caused us losses. The government should announce the timings of the power cuts. We are small businessmen. This problem causes us a lot of problems," a local businessman told ANI on Friday.
"There are untimely and frequent power cuts. It is causing small shopkeepers a lot of problems," another shopkeeper said.
Another resident said that there is a water problem because of the power cuts.
"We are facing a lot of problems because of the power cuts. There is a water problem because of power cuts. The children face problems. Summer is at its peak, but there are frequent power cuts," he said.
An office-goer person narrated his plight and said that he faces problems in taking a peaceful sleep at night due to power cuts after hard work during the day.

"There are a lot of problems. We do our duty and when we come to fill water here, there is no electricity. We are not able to sleep properly at night. We are asked to pay the full bill, but full electricity is not provided," he said.
Residents of Jharkhand's Ranchi also are suffering due to frequent power cuts.
Detailing her problems, homemaker Pushpa Sinha said that they sit on the terrace at night to find some relief from the warm weather as there are power cuts.

"There are a lot of power cuts. It is causing a lot of problems for women. The food items in the refrigerator are getting spoiled. Children are facing problems because of the cuts. There are water problems as well. At times, we sit on the terrace at night to feel better, but even the floor of the terrace is warm because of the heat throughout the day," she said.
"The government should pay attention to this problem. The middle-class families are suffering more," she added.
Another woman said that the government "has got nothing to do with these problems."
"It seems like the government has got nothing to do with our problems. The online classes of our children are getting hampered due to the power cuts. Our power backup is also getting drained. There is no source to charge the battery," she said.
Ashok Chourasia, a local resident said that the government promised zero power cuts, however, they are facing 100 per cent power cuts.

"The government said there will be Zero power cut, but this is a 100 per cent power cut. We have gone back to the days when there was no electricity in our houses. Due to frequent power cuts, there is no water. It has become difficult to survive in this scorching heat without power supply," he said.
Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party recently came to power with a thumping majority promising free electricity to the residents, is also facing power cuts. The residents showed their discontent with the government and urged to provide electricity.

"The Bhagwant Mann government had promised 24-hour electricity. I saw Kejriwal's statement in which he said that 24-hour electricity will be given after four years. If they had no roadmap, why did they fool the people of Punjab? There are power cuts for up to 9 hours. I request the government to give us only electricity. Don't make Punjab Delhi. Let Punjab be Punjab," he said.
Another businessman said, "The business is going down because of power cuts. After being tired for the entire day, when we go to sleep at night, we are not able to do so because of the cuts. We don't want free electricity. We are ready to pay for it. We only want full-time power."