Agra sizzles at 45 degrees, two dead

Two people have died here as a heat wave continued to sweep the city, with the mercury hovering around 45 degrees Celsius.

A 60-year-old man died of heatstroke in Ghatiz Azam Khan area while another man died in Jagdishpura Wednesday, officials said.

The maximum temperature in Agra was recorded at 45.1 degrees Celsius Wednesday, the weather office in Lucknow said.

The Met officials Thursday said temperature could cross 46 degrees Thursday and there would be no respite till this weekend.

The city is also reeling under severe water and power crisis. Against a demand of around 500 MLD (millions of liters a day), the city is receiving only 160 MLD of water.

"The situation is pathetic and alarming," said D.K. Joshi, a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee on drainage and water supply.

Besides, the Taj city is battling erratic power supply with long hours of load shedding. "Each day, there is no power for hours in the urban areas while in the rural belt the availability is only for 10-12 hours," said Premendra Jain, a BJP worker.