Jaipur: With scorching heat, the desert state of Rajasthan is reeling under severe heatwave conditions for the last 4–5 days. The maximum temperature in most of the cities has reached above 42 degrees Celsius and in some districts of North -West Rajasthan the mercury has reached near 47 degree Celsius.
The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for 20 districts. There is a possibility of intense heat during the day as well as at night in these districts. During this period, the temperature can go up to 47 degrees Celsius or above as per the Met department.
Earlier on Tuesday, most of the districts of the state were affected by scorching heat. Pilani, Kota, Barmer, Phalodi, Churu, Sriganganagar, Dholpur, Baran, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Fatehpur and Karauli recorded maximum temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius.
The hot conditions have impacted the routine life in the state also as the demand for electricity and water have reached on their peak. Compared to electricity production in the state, demand has increased by 1500 to 2500 MW and to manage the demand the Discoms are bound to do unannounced power cut for 2-2.30 hours.
To meet the increased demand of electricity, Energy Development Corporation is purchasing 5-6 crore units of electricity every day from the exchange at expensive rates. Despite this, the gap between demand and supply persists. The water crisis has deepened in the state as the demand for water tankers have increased in every city.
Amidst the ever deepening power crisis in Rajasthan, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has slammed the Bhajan Lal government. He wrote in a post on X, "Complaints of undeclared power cuts are coming from all the districts. BJP had promised 24-hour supply of domestic electricity in its election manifesto. CM Bhajanlal Sharma is claiming that 45 percent of the promises in the manifesto have been fulfilled. This claim is proving to be completely false. The Chief Minister should leave his six-month-long tour of India and look towards the people of the state who are suffering from power cut."
