Delhi Faces Twin Problems: Widespread Power Cuts Amid Heatwave And Water Supply Crisis

Delhi, already grappling with an unprecedented heatwave and a severe water crisis, faced a new challenge this afternoon (11 June) with widespread power cuts across the city.

The outages were triggered by a fire at a power grid in Mandola, Uttar Pradesh, which supplies 1,500 megawatts of electricity to the national capital, according to Delhi Power Minister Atishi.

"There has been a major power cut in many parts of Delhi since 2:11 PM today. A power grid in Mandola, UP, which supplies 1,500 MW of electricity to Delhi, has caught fire. We are linking it to our other power sources," Atishi said.

The minister also mentioned plans to seek an appointment with the new Union Power Minister, as the country's power transmission is managed by the central government.

She expressed concern over the national power infrastructure's failure, highlighting that the national grid's failure in the capital is alarming, especially since there were no power cuts even when Delhi's peak power demand reached 8,000 MW.

Amid the water crisis gripping the capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena announced on Tuesday that he had spoken with Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini regarding the issue.

Saxena stated that Saini had assured him of all possible assistance despite the constraints on Haryana's water supply due to the weather.

"Spoke to Hon’ble CM, Haryana, Shri Nayab Saini ji yesterday. He reiterated that water was being provided to Delhi as per its allocated share and assured of all possible help, despite the state’s own constraints due to the ongoing heatwave," Saxena posted on X.

This comes amid longstanding tensions between AAP and the Centre-appointed Lt Governor, particularly over accusations that Haryana has not released Delhi's share of water. Saxena recently urged AAP ministers to avoid blame games and focus on resolving the crisis.

An intense and unprecedented heatwave has been sweeping Delhi for nearly a month, with temperatures occasionally exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department has predicted that heatwave conditions will persist in most parts of the city.