Delhi swelters amid power crisis

By Geeta Pandey
BBC News, Delhi

Illegal links to the grid syphon off large amounts of Delhi's power

The Delhi government's minister for power, Harun Yusuf, says new guidelines are being drafted to save electricity.

Temperatures have soared recently and Delhi has experienced major power cuts, leading to protests in several areas.

Under the new rules, government offices must switch off air-conditioners after 1830 and shopping malls across the city will have to shut at 1730.

The crisis is chiefly caused by a big gap in supply and demand but officials also blame large-scale power theft.

The government is also considering asking all shops to shut an extra day a week and residents are being advised not to use their air-conditioners until 2100.

Intervention

As the temperatures hit 43C in Delhi, long hours of power cuts have resulted in frayed tempers.

For the last couple of weeks some of the city areas have had to go without power for as much as five to six hours at a stretch.

The Supreme Court has also intervened in the matter.

It has asked the state - as well as the federal government - to explain what they are doing to deal with the power crisis.

"How will we organise the Commonwealth Games in 2010 here?" the court asked on Friday.

Officials say 35% of the total power generated in Delhi is stolen, mostly by individuals hooking up cables to transmission lines.