Uttar Pradesh hits record 32,634 MW, rural power cuts reported
Uttar Pradesh just broke its own electricity record, with demand peaking at 32,634 MW on Thursday night thanks to relentless heat and late monsoons.
This surge has led to daily power cuts, sometimes up to six or seven hours in rural areas, as the grid struggles to keep up.
Delayed payments, staff shortages worsen outages
Staff shortages are making things worse. Worker groups say years of slow hiring and letting go of contract staff mean repairs take longer and outages last.
On top of that, some private power plants have cut supply because they haven't been paid on time, even though they provide about 20% of Uttar Pradesh's electricity.
The government is pushing state-run plants to run at full tilt and asking private companies for more power, but frequent equipment breakdowns aren't helping anyone cool off yet.