In over two-dozen districts, the power situation has worsened and the drop in the mercury has aggravated the condition. Reportedly, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) is finding it difficult to maintain 24-hour power supply to the state capital and other cities like Kanpur, Allahabad, Agra, Varanasi and Rae Bareili.

Due to falling temperatures, power demand in peak hours has risen to around 8,000 MW while supply is just 5,800-6,000 MW. According to UPPCL officials, this means a shortfall of around 2,000 MW every day, which has led to several district headquarters receiving only 10 to 12 hours of electricity. At the tehsil headquarters, power is supplied for a period of 6-8 hours only. In the villages, excluding Bundelkhand, the power corporation is only able to supply 3 to 4 hours of electricity.

On Saturday, all units of the Paricha Thermal Power Station had stopped generation owing to a technical fault. A 210-MW unit at Anpara and 200-MW unit at Obra have already stopped generation.