NEW DELHI, INDIA:
India is experiencing its biggest electricity shortfall in almost six years, as hot temperatures compel schools to close early and people to stay indoors.

Large swaths of South Asia have been parched by extreme heat this week, following India’s hottest March on record, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to warn of increased fire hazards if the region heats up too quickly.

Temperatures in parts of South Asia have been several degrees above average since March, causing an intense heat wave.

Local governments in the hardest-hit states are juggling power outages and mounting demand on health-care services.

Temperatures in the capital, New Delhi, have been above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days and are expected to stay above 44 degrees till Sunday, with peak summer heat still to come before the cooling monsoon rains arrive in June.

Maximum temperatures in six West Bengal districts were at least five degrees Celsius above normal, according to weather officials, with the absence of rain in the state capital Kolkata compounding the problem.

People in the eastern state of Odisha set up stalls in major public locations to distribute water to passers-by. West Bengal, its neighbour, has declared summer school holidays beginning next week, a week ahead of schedule.

Gujarat’s health officials have taken preparations to deal with a possible outbreak.

“Due to the rise in temperatures, we have given a warning to hospitals to build up specific wards for heat stroke and other heat-related disorders,” Gujarat’s health secretary Manoj Aggarwal told Reuters.

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Rajasthan, in the northwest, has scheduled four hours of factory power outages, making it at least the third state to halt industrial activity in order to manage rising power demand.

“In light of the current power situation,” a state utility declared, “it has been determined to implement scheduled cuts.”

Industrial disruption and widespread power outages are poor news for business in India, which has only recently begun to recover after months of standstill due to coronavirus lockdowns.

Heatwaves and an uptick in economic activity are likely to exacerbate power outages in the coming days, with electricity demand expected to rise at its quickest rate in over four decades.

Millions of blue-collar workers, including construction and farm workers, as well as those working on factory floors, are at risk due to the extreme heat. Thousands of Indians have died as a result of sunstrokes over the years.

Rajasthan imposed four-hour power cuts for rural areas in addition to factory power cuts, subjecting thousands of residents in the desert state to harsh temperatures.