Heat, Power Cuts Add To People's Woes In Rayalaseema
Roads in several towns and villages are wearing a deserted look during the afternoon, as people avoid stepping out in the hot sun: Reports
KURNOOL: The return of scorching heat after a brief respite due to rains has left people across the Rayalaseema region struggling with oppressive weather. Temperatures have crossed 39 degrees Celsius on Wednesday at several places in Kurnool, Nandyal, and Kadapa districts.
Rains received about a week ago have brought relief for barely two days before the heat and humidity returned. Intensity of the sun is particularly severe from around 9 a.m., forcing many people to return home by noon to escape the heat.
“Usually, labourers and farmers try to finish their work and return home by noon during April and May because of the heat. But this year, we are experiencing similar conditions even in September and October. I have never seen such intense heat during the rainy season,” said Basireddy Chennareddy of Gospadu in Nandyal district.
Roads in several towns and villages are wearing a deserted look during the afternoon, as people avoid stepping out in the hot sun.
Adding to their woes are frequent power cuts. Unscheduled outages during the daytime have made the situation more difficult for people staying indoors to cope with. Residents say on occasions, if the power goes off around 7 p.m., the supply is not restored until around 9 p.m.
“If power cuts are being experienced even in a major city like Kurnool, one can imagine the situation in rural areas,” residents said.
Power interruptions have reportedly affected services at government hospitals, with some surgeries being postponed owing to outages.
A Transco engineer said power interruptions are for taking up maintenance in different areas for limited periods. There is no regular pattern of power cuts, the engineer maintained.
Rekulakunta Weather Centre scientist Dr. G. Narayana Swamy said high temperatures are likely to continue for some more time. He said the influence of El Nino is contributing to the rise in temperatures. He pointed out that the intensity of heat this year is considerably higher compared to last year.
Groundwater levels are also declining due to the prolonged heat. Officials of the Ground Water Resources department said water levels in several borewells have already fallen significantly.
With temperatures continuing to remain high, people are now hoping for another spell of rain to bring relief from heat and humidity.