17 states to face power shortage this year

Amid increasing demand for electricity day by day, 17 states, including Karnataka, are expected to witness significant power shortage in the 2013-14 fiscal.

The latest estimates from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) show that the southern region, comprising four states and one Union Territory, is likely to see a power deficit of 19.1 per cent in 2013-14.

In a sign that electricity supply is worsening in the southern region, the CEA estimates that the power deficit will be higher this fiscal than the 15.5 per cent shortfall in 2012-13 period. Among the 17 states, the worst hit will be the three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

Another state in the region, Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territory Puducherry, too, are facing severe power shortage.

While the deficit is the highest in Tamil Nadu with 26.5 per cent, the shortage in Kerala will be around 24.8 per cent, Karnataka (23.2 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (9.1 per cent).
Puducherry is projected to have electricity surplus of 9.9 per cent.

The other states that are projected to see substantial electricity supply shortages include Punjab (19.7 per cent), Assam (19.7 per cent), Bihar (19 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (18 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (17.7 per cent), Uttarakhand (15.4 per cent), Rajasthan (15.1 per cent) and Tripura (13.5 per cent).

The authority made this projection in the backdrop of acute power shortages in various parts of the country owing to a slew of factors, including fuel scarcity, poor financial health of discoms (power distribution companies) and transmission woes.

The CEA has said: “The country is expected to experience energy shortage of 6.7 per cent and peak shortage of 2.3 per cent despite very high shortages likely to be experienced by southern region.

“This is due to transmission constraints in the Northern-North Eastern-Eastern-Western-Southern Regional Grid, which restricts flow of power to the southern region.”
 
The CEA estimate has also said deficit in Maharashtra will be 9.8 per cent, Goa 4.5 per cent, Jharkhand 6.8 per cent, Nagaland 5.6 per cent and Odisha 0.8 per cent.