By Urikar Sangma
Every time there is prolonged power failure in Garo hills, the standing and routine reply that one gets from the authorities concerned including the MeECL is that, the fault is somewhere in the middle of dense forests, in between Mawngap and Nongalbibra, and as such, it takes long time for the repair personnel to get there and repair the fault. Now the point is, the general public of Garo hills has been continuously fed with this alibi for the last 15 years. Isn’t 15 years a long enough time for the authorities concerned to have set the matter right, such as, maybe rerouting the Mawngap and Nongalbibra lines or better still clear the entire stretch in between the said areas and chalk out a walking path alongside the main cable lines, so that when required, the repairmen or the engineers can at least walk on foot and reach the faulty spot quickly? By the look of things, clearly, MeECL have not done their homework well and have failed to solve the so called vexed problems of repairing faulty lines in between Mawngap-and Nongalbibra.
I don’t think that the successive Ministers in charge of power department or any single top official from the power department or from the MeECL for that matter, such as the Chairman, has ever taken the trouble to visit or walk down or around the forest stretch in between Mawngap and Nongalbibra, to have a firsthand account on the issue, although they are being paid to do so. The Official Web Site of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited, says that, it is a young, vibrant power utility endowed with a potential for power surplus. This website further says that, it aims to bridge the gap and bring closer interface between the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited and its valued consumers. MeECL must be kidding us all. It has done precious little so far to generate any kind of confidence from the people of Garo hills.
Meghalaya which was once a power surplus state is now been reduced to abject power crisis and failures, due to inept handling by the MeECL authorities. Although the hydro power generating capacity of the state is around 4000 MW, the state generates only about 185 MW against the peak hour demand of 650 MW. All the hydro power projects of Meghalaya namely the 270 MW Umngot power project and 450 MW Kynshi power projects in the West Khasi hill districts with more than RS 7000 crore expected investments are non starters and lying idle due to political bickering. Immediately prior to 2008 elections Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma had handed over several hydro electric power projects to private companies and till date nothing has come out of these projects. It would be real interesting to find out how much money has gone down the drain in signing memoranda of understanding (MoA) with those private parties
Recently, the power minister Mr. Clement Marak in an effort to solve the power crisis in Garo Hills has said that, an alternative Agia-Nongalbibra power route is being created to draw power supply from Assam to meet the frequent power failure in Garo Hills. It is clearly not a permanent solution to get over the persistent and perennial power failures in Garo hills. It is at best, a stop gap arrangement. In any case, I don’t think the Government of Assam would be too keen to provide or release power supply promptly, every time there is a prolonged power failure in Garo Hills. They have other more pressing matters to attend to than to keep a constant tab on the power needs of Garo Hills. The mute point is why we should beg from others when we have enough power resources and potentials of our own.
The power minister while deliberating on the issue of power crisis in Garo Hills has clearly failed to keep that pertinent fact in view that, the main source of power supply for Garo Hills is the route through Mawngap and Nongalbibra and not Agia-Nongalbibra. So set this route right first and then you can talk about an alternative route or arrangement of power supply. The power authorities of Meghalaya have not been able to set their own house in order and then talk about getting power supply from their neighbor. This is absolute nonsense and getting us all nowhere.
And finally and more importantly, there doesn’t seem to be enough of public pressure from Garo Hills on the issue. To my mind, it is about time that, the general public and all NGOs of Garo Hills come together to form one single cohesive unit or platform to ensure that every time there is prolonged power failure in Garo Hills, the power supply to the residences of CM, power minister, and top officials of MECL etc, should also be cut till such time the power supply to the public is not restored. Perhaps when their wives and children are not able to use their refrigerators or computers or are forced to use candles for studies and for entertaining guests and are compelled to stay indoors in total darkness for days together, then they will start to feel the pinch and start yelling at their parents/husbands and maybe then the politicians and the officials of the Power Department will wake up and try to do something about it.
As an afterthought, it would be good for the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues to hold their cabinet meetings and spend their leisure time, in the scorching summer heat of Garo Hills without electricity and water and enjoy their dinner total darkness at night, with mosquitoes for company. Perhaps then they will realize what kind of rat hole the Garo Hills summer is without electricity. If we the people of Garo Hills have learned to live our lives, without electricity for days on end then I see no reason, why they shouldn’t learn to do that.