Electricity generation dropped 2.5 per cent in July 2020, making it the lowest year-on-year decline since the pandemic outbreak.
Latest statistics released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI) shows that electricity generation during July 2020 was 2.5 per cent lower than in July 2019. This was the lowest year-on-year decline seen since April 2020.
Electricity generation had fallen by a drastic 22.9 per cent in April 2020, the peak of the lockdown period. Subsequently, through generation continue to fall in May and June, the rate of decline was lower. In May 2020, the fall in electricity generation was 14.9, with the situation improving in June 2020 with the decline restricting itself to 10 per cent.
| IIP: Electricity | ||||
| Month | Apr-20 | May-20 | Jun-20 | Jul-20 |
| % change | -22.9 | -14.9 | -10.0 | -2.5 |
During the April-July period of FY21, cumulative electricity generation was 12.5 per cent lower than the comparable period of FY20.
Industry experts believe that with further relaxations in the lockdown during August 2020, electricity generation might enter positive-growth zone during the month.
Overall Industrial Production
Trends in the overall index of industrial production (IIP) were similar. The decline in IIP for July 2020 was 10.4 per cent, which was the best performance this year so far, considering the performance in April (-57.3 per cent); May (-33.9 per cent) and June (-15.8 per cent).
(Featured photo courtesy: Talwani Saboo Power Ltd)