The country faced a huge power deficit of over 12,000 MW during the peak hours in the last financial year, according to a report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
Southern region was the worst affected by power shortage during the period as demand for electricity overshot by 6,052 MW against availability of 31,586 MW during the peak hours.
“Gas, coal shortage and less rains in the eastern and north-eastern regions were the primary reasons for the deficit,” a CEA official told PTI.
Against the peak demand of 1,35,453 MW, total power availability was 1,23,294 MW in the last fiscal, the data showed.
Peak power deficit is shortfall in generation capacity during the time when electricity consumption is the maximum.
Among the states, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar were the worst affected with a peak power deficit of over 20 per cent during the fiscal 2012-13.
Western region, comprising Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Daman & Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Goa, registered the least peak power deficit of 1.5 per cent, or 589 MW, during the period.
Eastern region (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, etc) recorded a shortage of 7.4 per cent or 1,240 MW during the year (April-March). Northern region suffered an overall shortage of 8.9 per cent or over 4,000 MW during the period.
North-eastern region comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, recorded a deficit of 6.7 per cent or 134 MW during the period. In March alone the region witnessed a shortage of 10 per cent.
During the month of March the overall peak power deficit stood at 9,482 MW or 7.4 per cent.