North, West in for severe power crisis, as govt fails to meet target

New Delhi, May 1 (UNI) The northern and western regions of the country will suffer from severe power crisis, as the government is far behind in meeting its 10th plan capacity addition target of 41,110 MW, an ASSOCHAM analysis said today.

In an analysis brought out by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), on the performance of the power sector, it has been projected that since only about one third of the 10th plan capacity target addition has been accomplished by March 2006, there is every likelihood that towards the end of the current fiscal, when the 10th plan period comes to an end, a capacity addition of around 10000 MW is expected, which is absolutely inadequate to meet the power shortfall.

The impact will be felt much higher in the northern and western regions, which suffered power shortage to the extent of 11 per cent and 14 per cent respectively, during April-March 2005-06.

Commenting on the analysis, ASSOCHAM President Anil K Agrawal said that in 2005--6, Andaman and Nicobar suffered power shoratge to the extent of 30.8 per cent in April-March 2005-06, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Jammu&Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura where the power deficit has respectively been recorded at 20.9 per cent, 18.1 per cent, 17.2 per cent, 15.4 per cent, 14.2 per cent and 10.6 per cent.

The chamber has highlighted that in the northern region comprising Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, the power availability in the period was 168, 511 million units (mu) as against the requirement of 188,418 mu.

This region suffered a shortfall of 19907 mu between April-March 2005-06, which in percentage terms works out to be 10.6 per cent.

The situation will further deteriorate until more than adequate efforts are made to narrow the gap between power availability and its requirements in these states.

Mr Agarwal added that the western region suffered 13.5 per cent energy deficit in 2005-06 as the entire region required a power of 186,904 mu as against its power requirement of 215,983 mw.

Maharashtra, the power availability was 84,132 mu against its power requirement of 102,780 mu. However, Madhya Pradesh had the power availability of 31,623 mu against its total requirement of 36,851 mu.

The findings further reveal that power shortages in the southern region will be minimal as their reservoirs level have gone up due to excessive rain in April-March 2005-06, the year in which it reported a power deficit of 0.8 per cent.

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