SHILLONG: Be prepared for some nail-biting moments during the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2019 — the state government is not willing to give any guarantee that there will be no load shedding during the one-and-a-half-month long marquee event to allow cricket lovers across the state a treat on their television sets.
The quadrennial tournament gets going in England from May 30. Most matches are scheduled to begin at 3pm IST.
Asked if people could hope for relief from the ongoing load shedding during the World Cup, Power Minister James Sangma told The Shillong Times, “We are trying. It’s not about only cricket, but also about inconvenience to students and people considering the heat now which is uncomfortable.”
Sangma said that the government is trying different ways and means to end load shedding in the state. “It is not easy, but we are trying,” he said.
When asked if the dues to NEEPCO running into more than Rs 500 crore have been cleared, Sangma said that the government is working on it.
The agency has regulated power supply because of the unpaid bills forcing the state government to resort to load shedding. It may be mentioned that NEEPCO on an average supplies 145-155 mw of power to the state.
Load shedding continues to remain a common concern in the state despite the fact that in the past ten year, as many as two hydro power projects – Myntdu Leshka Hydro Electric Project (126 MW) and New Umtru Hydro Electric Project (40 MW) – were commissioned.
So, as things stand today, for viewing the nail-biting finishes on field, the ubiquitous Android phone appears to be the only answer.
