Power crisis may curtail production by 25 pc: Assocham

NEW DELHI: The power shortage is likely to disrupt the industrial growth in the country, with production expected to further reduce by 25 per cent in August and
September, industry chamber Assocham said.
    
Industrial output was down by an estimated 15 per cent in June and July due to erratic power supply. Power deficit during the period was around 20-25 per cent, Assocham said in a statement.
    
Excessive rains hampered power supply and production in the northern, southern and western regions and it is expected to push power deficit to an estimated 35 per cent during August-September, it said.
    
"As such, the regions were reeling under tremendous power shortage in June and July and the rains added to it as defects in the transmission system have hardly been rectified," Assocham President Venugopal Dhoot said.
    
Power shortage in Delhi will hover around 25 per cent, increasing the demand-supply gap to 300 million units (MU) in August and September.
    
Power cuts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar exceed 10-12 hours a day. The gap between the availability and supply in two states is around 1,500 MU.
    
"In the absence of corrective measures, the situation may further deteriorate and force industrial units to curtail production by 40 per cent," he said.
    
Dhoot said increased industrial investments, modernisation, power theft and huge transmission losses are responsible for grave power situation in the country which is
likely to continue.    

Assocham said non-conventional sources of energy should be used for domestic usage and street lightning to meet the unmet demand.