Lucknow, April 24 -- The sharp rise in temperature has pushed electricity consumption in the state capital to new highs, straining the city's power network and triggering outages in several areas. Over the past week, Lucknow's demand has risen by about 30%, while the state's overall requirement has increased by nearly 10%, putting pressure on the grid. Official data show a steady climb in the city's daily demand: 1,391 MW on April 17, 1,425 MW on April 18, 1,443 MW on April 19, and 1,546 MW on April 20. The upward trend continued with 1,552 MW on April 21 and 1,595 MW on April 22, with demand likely to cross 1,600 MW soon. At the state level, demand stood at 25,022 MW on April 16, rose to 26,582 MW on April 19, and peaked at 27,293 MW on April 21 before easing slightly to 27,147 MW on April 22. The surge, driven largely by increased use of cooling appliances, has exposed weaknesses in distribution networks. Even areas like Hazratganj reported outages and voltage fluctuations during peak hours. One of the worst-hit pockets was Bhuhar Lalbagh, under the Amethia feeder of Basant Kunj substation, where supply remained hit for nearly 18 hours. Chief engineer, LESA, Sushil Garg said feeder-level stress and high load were causing frequent faults. Preventive shutdowns were also carried out....