National Desk, 17 May: Delayed monsoon has caused the water level in Meghalaya’s Umiam reservoir to keep dropping which has a severe impact on power production. At present, the water level at the Umiam reservoir is 3165 feet which is the lowest it has ever been, according to the in charge of the power department AT Mondal.
“There is a permissible limit of the water level in which we can run the unit, so if keeps on declining for another feet, we have to shut down Umiam”, said Mondal.
But the power minister declared that for the time being, the government would continue with the load-shedding plan limiting it to 8 hours in Tura and Shillong and 10 hours in some other regions of the state.
Power minister said that when the rainy season will start normalcy will return.
Notably, the Umiam Dam was examined by the Power Minister and specialists from IIT Guwahati on May 16. However, the electricity minister stated that the government is attempting to resolve this matter, aiming to lessen the power shortfall and investigating all necessary measures.
“As for long term measures they take time, it is not like today we decide on a new power project and tomorrow it is set up, it is a long process. For the medium term we have to look at the type of projects, if it maybe hydel, thermal or any other source. So we are exploring all those issues, and hopefully we are trying to minimise the power scarcity at the earliest”, said Mondal in finding permanent solution on the power crisis in the state.