by Peerzada Arshad Hamid
NEW DELHI, Apr 30 (NNN-XINHUA) – Indian capital region, Delhi, yesterday continued to reel under a brutal heatwave, like in many other parts of the country.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the maximum temperature is likely to touch 44 degrees centigrade today.
On Thursday, the temperature breached the 45-degree mark in the city.
A heatwave is gripping the entire north, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Indian-controlled Kashmir.
The minimum temperature in the national capital was recorded two notches above normal at 25.8 degrees. It will remain the same during the seven-day period with a slight drop in between.
On Thursday, the IMD said, heatwave conditions will prevail over north-west and central India during the next five days, and over east India during the next three days.
The unprecedented heatwave comes, at a time when states in India are facing power outages, in the wake of a shortage of coal supplies. Power cuts have been reported in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab, Haryana and Indian-controlled Kashmir, at a time when the mercury continues to rise.
Delhi’s local power minister, Satyendar Jain, on Thursday held an emergency meeting over the power shortage fears, urging the federal government to ensure adequate coal supply to the power plants, so that an uninterrupted electricity supply to key establishments in the capital, including Metro trains and hospitals is maintained.
“Due to disruption of power supply from Dadri-II and Unchahar power stations, there may be a problem in 24-hour power supply to many essential institutions, including Delhi Metro and Delhi government hospitals,” according to a Delhi government statement to local media.
Jain said, at present, 25-30 percent of the electricity demand in Delhi is being met through Dadri-II and Unchahar power stations, and they face a shortage of coal.
In India, heatwaves are common in May and June. However, this year, summer started early with high temperatures and heatwaves from March.
This Mar saw the highest average maximum temperatures recorded in 122 years.– NNN-XINHUA
