By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL), a division of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), on Tuesday asserted that load shedding in the State would continue for some more time.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, MePGCL Director, Elias Lyngdoh, said that the power situation would improve once the Tripura-based Palatana power project becomes functional.
Presentation details on the power scenario in the State, the MePGCL Director said that the total installed capacity of MeECL through its old hydro power plants stands at 187.20 MW while the new hydel plants at Sonapani and Myntdu-Leshka are generating 1.5 MW and 126 MW of power respectively. “The total installed capacity is 314.70 MW,” he told reporters.
On the other hand, the capacity availability is 524. 28 MW including 314.70 MW of own generation, 147.40 MW from NEEPCO, 13.15 MW from National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) and 49.03 MW from National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
It may be mentioned that the State Government’s inability to clear pending dues to NEEPCO amounting to over Rs 244 crore has further worsened the power crisis in Meghalaya since the Corporation has stopped power supply to the State.
Lyngdoh, however, hoped that the Government will take necessary action to clear the dues for uninterrupted power supply to the State.
When asked why power was bought at a higher rate from private companies, Lyngdoh admitted that since power supply was limited at that time no reactive action was taken and the companies kept on revising the power rates which led to escalation of the dues.
The MePGCL is now counting on the proposed Central scheme under which an amount of Rs 1,00,020 crore has been earmarked to be given to different electric boards and corporations of the country which are reeling under financial crisis.
On the issue of the failure of the Rs 1173 crore Myntdu-Leshka project to generate the proposed 126 MW of power, the official said that the project can generate around 10-20 MW of power in the lean season.
According to Lyngdoh, the Myntdu-Leshka project was on its way to becoming a success story as all issues surrounding the project have been resolved.
“However, recurrent floods and addition of Unit III in the project led to overrun of time and cost,” Lyngdoh said, even as he admitted that the then Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB) did not have the expertise to prepare the DPR. He admitted that the even the Central Electricity Authority had questioned the competence of the MeSEB (now MeECL) to execute the project.
Lyngdoh also rooted for more thermal power plants in the State and said that thermal plants can generate power throughout the year whereas hydro-electric plants depend largely on the rain.