New hydro electricity policy in two months: Govt

NEW DELHI: A new hydro electricity policy will be unveiled in two months, government told the Lok Sabha on Friday while acknowledging that the target of producing 41,110 MW of power fell short by about a half in the 10th Plan.

During the 11th Plan, the electricity generation is targeted to be 78,700 MW, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said in reply to questions in the House.
    
"New policy on hydro electricity is coming in two months," he said, adding it is aimed at addressing the problem of power shortage in the country.

He said the energy and peak shortages at the end of 10th Plan were 9.6 per cent and 13.8 per cent respectively as compared to 7.5 per cent and 11.8 per cent at the end of 9th Plan.

The capacity addition during the 10 Plan was proposed to be 41,110 MW but only 21,180 MW was achieved, the Minister said.

He said one of the main reasons for the shortage was inability of states to add capacity.

There is availability of 1,50,000 MW of electricity in the Himalayan region, Shinde said.

As part of efforts to tap it, the central government recently signed an MoU with Arunachal Pradesh for generation of 21,000 MW, he said.