The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has announced scheduled power outages lasting 8 to 10 hours daily from April 21 to 26 across major cities, including Patiala, Amritsar, and Ludhiana. This initiative aims to modernize the state's electricity distribution network and is expected to impact residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, currently in the Netherlands, stated that these outages are necessary for system upgrades to ensure a reliable power supply during the peak summer season. With temperatures in Punjab reaching 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for heatwave conditions. The state’s peak power demand has recently crossed 10,000 MW, prompting PSPCL to expedite modernization efforts that began in December. Despite the planned outages, concerns have been raised by power experts regarding the timing of maintenance work during peak demand months, as such activities are typically conducted in winter. PSPCL plans to reduce the duration of outages based on consumer feedback.