SHILLONG:
Power Minister A T Mondal on Friday said the water level of the Umiam Lake was one of the lowest in the history of the state.
“We are at 3,170 feet. Another five feet down and it would mean a problem for us,” Mondal told reporters.
He said it was due to the low water level that not much power generation was possible. “Our units are just spinning for some time and then have to wait for more water to gather,” he added.
Meghalaya is receiving very less rainfall this year.
The minister, however, said that the government was working holistically by coming up with some short-term remedies to cope with the present scenario due to the power crisis. “At the same time, some long-term measures will also be taken so that in the future we are not subjected to such a crisis,” he said while informing that the government is trying to see certain projects come up as early as possible so that the problem can be solved.
Mondal said that the demand is increasing proportionately at a higher rate than generation.
“Every day we need 6.6 or 7 million units of power. We are generating from our own state generating units only 1.5 million units on an average…so the rest of the power is coming from banking and purchasing,” he said.
Refusing to give the amount spent by the government so far on power purchases, the minister said, “We will not be able to give you because the rate fluctuates according to when it is purchased, whether, during peak hours or non-peak hours, it is not in peak hours. So when we come to the conclusion then only we will know how much we spend on power.”
“We are thankful to the high court that they have given us a direction that we can purchase power and pass it on to consumers. But it is not that we purchase at a higher rate and tell consumers to pay at a high rate because the rate is fixed not by MeECL or the power department, but by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission. Therefore, we have petitioned them, so let us see whether we get some respite or not,” he added.
Further, the minister also said that the government is praying that the load-shedding hours can be reduced in the coming days.
State yet to allow Umiam retrofitting
The state government is yet to allow the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati for the retrofitting the Umiam bridge.
Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal on Friday said, “We haven’t given them (IIT-G) a go-ahead because we need to make our own decision. However, the day we give them the go-ahead, they will come and do the testing (on the bridge),” Mondal told reporters.
He said the retrofitting of the Umiam bridge will take place only after the IIT-G submits its report to the government.
On May 16, Mondal along with experts from the IIT-G conducted an inspection of the Umiam bridge after concerns were raised about the safety of the bridge.
The minister informed that on physical verification during the site inspection, they found that the bearings of the Umiam bridge are not in good condition.
“So, we have ordered for these bearings to be manufactured in the company. So once they complete, our people will go test the load on the factory itself…,” he said while adding that “In the meantime, we will complete the testing, and if any retrofitting in the structure is required that also will be done.”
According to the minister, plying of heavy vehicles through the Umiam bridge is strictly prohibited. People are also being deployed to check if there is any violation of the order during the night hours.
Last year, the safety audit conducted on the Umiam bridge found that the vibration caused by vehicular movement was within limits.
In March this year, Mondal also informed the Assembly that the lifespan of the Umiam dam has already expired and said that the government is going for retrofitting so that its lifespan can be expanded.