The load shedding in Meghalaya will continue for some time as the state is having a shortfall of 112 million units of power with several power projects shut down.
Informing this, Minister in-charge Power Abu Taher Mondal on Wednesday assured that the government and the MeECL are working round the clock to provide some relief to the citizens in view of the loadshedding being imposed in the state.
Mondal admitted that the people are suffering and that the government is really concerned about the problem. He said that the load shedding was done out of compulsion.
“The state gets a central share of around 72 million units of power, while the state generates more 16 million units, so at present, we are having a liability of around 88 million units and our requirement is 200 million units. So we are short by 112 million units and this is the hardest fact we are facing now,” he added.
Mondal said, NEEPCO runs Kopili stage one, Kopili stage two and Khandong power station have closed down, which has resulted in the state losing 46.55 megawatt of power.
Mondal said, “The power projects under shutdown include Kopili stage-I of 200 MW from where the state gets 35MW as share, Khandong power station of 50 MW (state share is 8.51MW) and Kopili stage-II of 25 MW (state share is 3.45 MW).”
He further informed that the Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Electric Project, the mainstay of electricity supply in the State has suffered crippling damage. Unit three of Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Electric Project is shut down since June 22, while Unit one of Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Electric Project is shut down in November 2022. Umiam stage 4 which produces around 60 megawatt of electricity is shut down from November, 2022. Umiam stage 3 is also shut down.
“As far as the Myntdu Leshka hydel power project is concerned, two units (of 42MW) are also shutdown now while Umiam also, we are also having two units of 60MW which are also like that,” he said adding that the reason being due to damage and requirement for annual maintenance.