Power shortage just got worse

Rising demand for electricity and practically static supply has meant the gap between demand and supply of electricity in India has widened from 3,015 MU in April 2004 to 4,695 MU in April 2005, a rise of almost 56 per cent.

The peak power deficit -- the gap between requirement and availability during peak hours -- rose to 10.5 per cent, from 9,665 MU in April 2004 to 10,681 MU in April 2005.

The west and the north reported rising deficits, while the south was better off, mainly because of the additional supply from power plants commissioned recently.

Not surprisingly, the deficit was worst in the west, where availability was 16.7 per cent short, up from 10.7 per cent in April 2004. Among the states in this region, Madhya Pradesh performed worst. The power deficit in the state was 25 per cent in April 2005, up from only 12.8 per cent in April 2004.

In Maharashtra, too, lack of capacity addition has meant a worsening of the power situation. The deficit in April 2005, at 1690 MU, was 18.8 per cent, up from 873 MU in April 2004, which was only 10.9 per cent of the state's power requirement in that period.

The figures, compiled by the Central Electricity Authority, are based on the average supply and demand for the month. Availability has been estimated based on feedback from regional offices and regional load dispatch centres, while requirement is estimated by adding power cuts data to the availability.

Among the northern states, Uttar Pradesh--another state that has not added capacity in a long time--saw its deficit widening from 9.3 per cent to 17.9 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir was next, with its deficit going up from 1.3 per cent to 10.3 per cent.

The east is a power surplus region and deficits, if any, are because power is supplied to the grid, rather than within the state, in order to generate additional revenue.

The south has, however, reported significantly improved performance. The deficit has gone down from 3.5 per cent in April 2004 to only 0.8 per cent in April 2005.

The maximum improvement has been seen in Karnataka, where the deficit has gone down from 350 MU, or 11.1 per cent, to 21 MU, 0.7 per cent, in April 2005.