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Healthy monsoon season leading to lesser agricultural demand and higher hydro power generation narrowed the country's peak electricity shortage in September to 3.6%, according to official data.
The peak power deficit or shortage in electricity supply when the demand is at its highest in the same period last year had soared to 13,246 MW or 10%.
"The peak power shortage for the month of September stood at 4,881 MW or 3.6%," as per latest data of the Central Electricity Authority.
The total peak demand for the period was 1,34,150 MW, of which 1,29,269 MW was met, the data showed.
"There are various factors which led to this level of improvement in one year. They are good monsoons which reduced demand from the agricultural sector and boosted hydro power production," a CEA official told PTI.
He added: "As much as 20,000 MW capacity has also been added in the past one year."
Peak power deficit in the northern region, comprising states of Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Union Territory of Chandigarh nearly halved to 5.9% last month from 11.6% in the same period last fiscal.
Southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala along with the Union Territory of Puducherry showed the maximum improvement.
These states reported a deficit of 2.8% in September 2013 as compared to a whopping 19% in September last year, according to CEA data.
The eastern region states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal witnessed peak power deficit of 2.3% as against 6.4% last year.
The north-eastern region -- Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland -- showed little improvement from previous year.
The region recorded a shortage of 8.2% this year as compared to 9.7% last September, the data said.
However, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the West reported an increase in deficit from a meagre 0.7% in September 2012 to 2% this year.
