Punjab heat wave fuels outages, protests and alleged Moga assault
India
Punjab is dealing with long power outages as demand for electricity jumps way up thanks to the heat wave: think 40 Celsius days and everyone cranking up their fans.
Outages lasting two to six hours have left people frustrated, leading to protests and even clashes with power company staff.
In one upsetting incident, an assistant sub-station attendant in Moga was allegedly assaulted.
Workers cite higher-ups, fear for safety
The blackouts are a mix of planned maintenance (to prep for summer and the busy paddy season) and unexpected spikes in demand.
Power employees say decisions about supply come from higher-ups, not local staff, but workers are worried about safety as tensions rise.