The shining city is plunged into darkness

 

                                 China

The Bund is one of the tourist attractions in China's Shanghai, a glittering area Photo: Reuters

 The Bund is a bright area in Shanghai, China.  There are skyscrapers.  The riverside area is one of the tourist centers for the modern construction style and historical buildings.  Local officials said, there will be no light for two days.  The authorities have taken such a decision to save electricity.

 China, the world's second largest economy, has experienced severe drought across large areas due to record high temperatures.  It has created a power crisis.  Major manufacturers in China's Sichuan province say the power crisis is disrupting their production operations.  As a result, they are suffering.

The Shanghai Landscaping and City Appearance Administrative Bureau issued a notice on Sunday to deal with the situation.  The notice says that the area known as The Bund will not have lights on today, Monday and tomorrow, Tuesday.  The area called The Bund is built around the Huangpu Pass, the largest river in Shanghai.

 In the notice, the authority also said, "We apologize for the disruption this may cause."

 For weeks, intense fires have been raging in the Yangtze Delta region, including Shanghai, and China's southwestern Sichuan province.  It has caused fires in many places.  Special teams have been deployed to protect food grains.  In the current situation, a national drought warning was issued in China this week for the first time.

The Chinese government has issued a yellow warning or 'yellow alert' last Thursday.  Turmeric has the third highest drought alert in the country.

 Temperatures in Sichuan province exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.  Provincial officials said in a recent statement that demand for air conditioners has increased due to rising temperatures and reduced rainfall.  It has started a power crisis.

 According to various media reports, the period of measures taken by the provincial authorities to save power has been extended by five days till Thursday.  Due to these measures, some industries are getting limited power supply.

German carmaker Volkswagen told the BBC its plant in Sichuan's capital city of Chengdu is now closed due to a power crisis.

 Foxconn, an Apple supplier that closed its Sichuan plant, said the impact on production at its factories was not significant.

 Japanese car manufacturer Toyota told the BBC that they have gradually started production in Sichuan by using their own electricity.

 Chenyu Wu, an associate analyst for China and North Asia at the consulting firm Control Risks, said that the impact of the power crisis may not last long.