POWER CUTS AMID RISING TEMPERATURE

POWER CUTS AMID RISING TEMPERATURE

21-APRIL-ENG 13

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------Tormented by rising temperatures and an erratic power supply, the patience of consumers in Shahpur is finally wearing thin. Amidst the scorching heat, the incessant "hide-and-seek" played by the electricity supply has thrown daily life into complete disarray. The situation is such that in the evenings—and right up until 10 PM—the flickering power supply causes constant annoyance, while prolonged power outages during the late hours of the night are robbing ordinary citizens of their sleep.

Consumers in Shahpur state that the power situation deteriorates significantly as soon as dusk falls. While the Electricity Department does send out messages regarding "load shedding," they fail to provide any specific timeframe for when the power will be restored. Due to the lack of a fixed schedule for supply, homemakers, students, and the elderly are facing immense difficulties. The uncertainty surrounding when the power will go out and when it will return has become a major source of mental distress for the residents.

The Department's apathy toward this issue is evident from the fact that the WhatsApp group created specifically for electricity-related complaints has been reduced to nothing more than a one-way channel for administrators to disseminate information. While people are sharing their grievances on social media and other relevant groups, instead of finding a resolution to their problems, they are merely receiving words of consolation from their local elected representatives. The continuous and escalating power cuts have sparked deep outrage among the local residents.

In protest against the persistent power cuts and the Department's negligence, the civic-minded citizens of Shahpur have now begun to mobilize. A series of local-level meetings has commenced with the aim of bringing the situation under control and demanding improvements in the power supply. During these meetings, it was made unequivocally clear that if the power supply situation does not improve within the next few days, the local residents will be compelled to take to the streets in protest. The residents have issued a stern warning: if the Electricity Department fails to take corrective measures, the phase of merely filing complaints will end, and a phase of mass public agitation will begin.