Umiam lake

Shillong, Jan. 4: Meghalaya is staring at widespread power cuts as the water level in Umiam lake has recorded 16 feet lower than last year’s.

The government had already imposed power cuts from end of last year, but more load-shedding has also been planned for the future.

Power minister A.T. Mondal told reporters today that the power scenario in the state is very bleak as the Umiam lake, the state’s major hydel power generation source, is drying up.

Though the state is now getting 42MW of power from Myntdu Leshka hydel project, the power scenario has not improved. The worst affected are the Garo hills and remote villages in the state.

The power minister said the industries in the state were also affected by power shortage and they had been advised to have their own captive power plants.

“We are also asking the new industries which are coming up to have captive power plants to ensure that domestic power consumers are not burdened,” Mondal said.

In the absence of any power project in Garo hills, power is supplied though the 132-KV transmission line of Mawlai-Nongstoin-Rongjeng which supplies power to the three Garo hills districts.

Though the alternate Agia-Nangalbibra transmission line was announced several years back, delay in getting land coupled with court cases have stood in the way of early launch of the line.

“When we complete the Agia-Nangalbibra line, we would be able to supply around 80MW power to the whole Garo hills,” Mondal said.

The power minister said the government would speed up work for Ganol hydel project and another thermal power plant in Garo hills to address the problem of frequent power failure in the region.

The Achik Senior Citizens’ Forum, Tura, in the West Garo Hills yesterday asked the government to address the frequent disruption of power in Garo hills.

According to the Forum’s president W.G. Momin, the most affected are the students who are busy preparing for the board examinations.

He pointed out that during the festive season, the people of Garo hills were severely affected by frequent power cuts.

The NGO leader also said the Garo hills region alone has 24 MLAs in the House of 60. The prominent among them include chief minister Mukul Sangma, power minister A.T. Mondal, Tura legislator P.A. Sangma besides MPs Agatha Sangma and Thomas Sangma, but the region is always in darkness.

Meghalaya has vast hydro potential of around 3,000MW, but the delay in planning and execution works has affected the tapping of the power potential. Though the availability of power in the state at present is 358MW, the demand is over 600MW.