The Hindu : National : Poor monsoon causes energy shortage

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National

Poor monsoon causes energy shortage

Sujay Mehdudia

The deficit is estimated at 10 per cent

Demand for energy stood at 2.1 billion units, against supply of 1.9 billion units
Maharashtra is the worst-hit State

NEW DELHI: With the monsoon turning out to be poor in various parts of the country, including South India and Central-West India, the country is faced with an energy shortage of 10 per cent and a peak demand power shortage of around 12.5 per cent. This contradicts the stand of some States that they were facing massive shortage from State and central utilities.

According to data available till July 31 from the National Power Monitoring Centre of the Power Ministry, the top five States facing shortage were Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The countrywide demand for energy stood at 2.1 billion units, against which the supply was 1.9 billion units, projecting a shortage of 10 per cent. However, this data is not reflective of the energy demands of the States and their variations.

For instance, Maharashtra had a demand of 302 million units, but the supply was only 236 million units. Punjab’s demand stood at 177 million units, against the supply of 150 million units.

In the case of Uttar Pradesh, the demand was 189 million units, against the supply of 154 million units. Karnataka had a demand of 118 million units with the supply position being 94 million units.

Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh, the demand was 177 million units with the supply being 161 million units. In Kerala, it was 42 million units and the supply 38 million units. In Tamil Nadu, the demand was 196 million units, against the supply of 184 million units.

Peak demand

As for meeting the peak demand, the situation was different. In Maharashtra, the demand was 14,782 MW and the supply 10,447 MW, recording a deficit of 29 per cent. In Bihar, the demand stood at 1,558 MW and the supply 1058 MW, a deficit of 32 per cent.

In Andhra Pradesh, the demand was 8,553 MW, against the supply of 6,905 MW (deficit of 19 per cent); in Kerala it was 2484 MW, against the supply of 2012 MW, a shortage of 19 per cent. In the case of Haryana, the demand was 4926 MW, 4069 MW (shortage of 17 per cent); in Uttar Pradesh, the demand was 7,783 MW, against 6,483 MW, a deficit of 16 per cent. In Punjab, it was 7,164 MW against the demand of 6,034 MW (deficit of 15.8 per cent.)

The overall demand in the country stood at 98,000 MW, against the supply of 86,000 MW, a shortage of 12.5 per cent.

“Difficult situation”

“The situation is no doubt difficult due to poor monsoon in some parts of the country, failure of the ‘officially commissioned’ projects to produce power and some projects in South India developing technical faults,” the Minister of State for Power, Jairam Ramesh said.

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