LUCKNOW, May 23 -- The ongoing heatwave across Uttar Pradesh has pushed the state's power infrastructure under severe stress, triggering prolonged outages, transformer failures, low-voltage problems and public protests in several districts. With temperatures crossing 45degC in many areas and continuous use of air-conditioners, coolers and fans driving electricity demand to record levels, officials admitted that transformers and distribution lines are struggling to cope with the load. From Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri to Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Kanpur, residents have complained of hours-long power cuts, frequent tripping and delayed repair work, leaving many areas without electricity during peak daytime heat and through the night. In Bahraich, despite electricity department officials claiming that all nine substations in the city are functioning normally, consumers alleged severe disruption in both urban and rural areas. Residents complained of recurring transformer failures, underground cable faults and long outages in localities such as Tirmuhani Road and Qila. In rural areas including Fakharpur, Tejvapur and Risia, villagers staged protests accusing the department of poor management and inadequate supply. Many claimed they were receiving barely three to ten hours of electricity daily instead of the officially mandated 18 hours. Protesters also alleged that complaints lodged with officials often remained unanswered. The situation in Lakhimpur Kheri has worsened as temperatures neared 43degC and electricity demand rose sharply. Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) officials said power demand in the district increased by nearly 40%, reaching 55 MW this May compared to 39 MW during the same period last year. UPPCL superintending engineer Manish Kumar Jha said daytime rostering had increased and outages were now occurring at night as well. Urban areas are facing three to four hours of cuts, while rural areas are witnessing outages lasting up to eight hours. Frequent tripping, low voltage and transformer breakdowns have triggered protests in Nighasan, Tikonia and Gola. Gorakhpur has also witnessed widespread disruption due to unscheduled power cuts and repeated faults. More than 15,000 residents in Rustampur reportedly faced a night-long blackout after a fault in a 33 KV transmission line disrupted supply. Angry residents gathered at the local substation to protest. Complaints of prolonged outages and low voltage were also reported from Lal Diggi, Sainik Kunj and Bichia. According to superintending engineer Sateesh Jaiswal, electricity demand in the city has surged to nearly 700 MVA against the normal load of around 460 MVA because of excessive use of cooling appliances. Officials said feeder shutdowns for repair and maintenance work further added to the disruption. In Prayagraj, where temperatures have remained above 45degC for over a week, the electricity infrastructure is struggling to cope with mounting demand. Officials said continuous use of cooling devices has overloaded transformers and power lines in areas such as Tagore Town, Rambagh, Bamrauli, Kalyani Devi, Civil Lines, Naini and Kareli. Superintending engineer Ashish Sinha said power demand increased from 105.094 million units in April last year to 111.367 million units this April, with demand expected to rise further in May. Chief engineer Rajesh Kumar said more than two dozen transformers were damaged this month. Residents in several localities staged protests over prolonged outages and water shortages caused by disruption in electricity supply. Varanasi has reported a sharp rise in transformer overloading and sparking incidents over the past five days. Frequent tripping has affected more than 40 localities, including Ramnagar, Mahmoorganj, Chaukaghat, Dafi and Shivpur. Residents near Cantt Station alleged that despite repeated complaints, the situation had not improved for days. In Samne Ghat, three colonies remained without electricity for nearly 12 hours on Thursday. Officials admitted that night-time demand spikes due to heavy use of air-conditioners and coolers were causing repeated tripping and low voltage in several areas. Kanpur too is facing a worsening power crisis amid peak summer temperatures nearing 45degC. Officials said more than 200 complaints related to transformer failures, tripping and equipment faults were reported in the past two days. Several transformers in South Kanpur developed faults, while some areas faced outages lasting up to three days. In some localities, damaged transformers were temporarily replaced with trolley-mounted units to restore supply. BJP MLA Surendra Maithani met Kesco managing director Neha Jain and demanded immediate corrective measures, citing growing public anger over prolonged outages and alleged harassment by field staff....