By Our Reporter
Shillong: In a bid to address the growing demand for power in Meghalaya, the State Government is now contemplating to generate power from the Umkhen river located on the border between Ri Bhoi and Jaintia Hills districts.
Addressing the gathering during the inauguration of a bridge over the Umkhen river on Friday, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma said, “We can generate power from this river and our children will get a lot of jobs in the project.”
Citing the example of Umiam which is not only a power project site but also a major tourist spot, Dr Sangma suggested that the same yardstick could be applied to the Umkhen project so that Nartiang, which lies very close to the spot, could be developed into a tourist hub.
“MeECL is just producing 185 mw but the bigger fact is that the Corporation has provided job opportunities for hundreds of people of the State. The more power we generate the more job opportunities we can provide to the people,” Dr Sangma added.
The Chief Minister also asserted that he would soon advice the investors and MeECL officials to look into the pros and cons of initiating a power project at Umkhen.