Editor,
Apropos of the letter, “Electric woes in Shillong ‘by Ranbir Singh Ranhotra, (ST May 2, 2022), I am pained to inform the public that these woes would continue unabated.
With the power scenario remaining stagnant at 214 MW since 1990 and even the Leshka (run of the river) project having to depend on the monsoon we must brace ourselves for dark days ahead. Over and above the requirements of domestic consumers there are the 10 power guzzling cement plants and 4 steel plants. Meghalaya is actually power-starved and in a crisis but the government is simply pushing on from one day to the next hoping for a miracle.
The MDA Government has no policy on how to run these power guzzling plants. Each cement plant consumes 118 MwHr per month. There are 10 such cement plants. For the benefit of laypersons 118 MwHr per month is the bill paid by domestic consumers in villages with 250 KwHr of 470 households, in rural areas with minimum luxury. So 10 plants is equivalent to 4700 households or an entire village. Four steel plants consume power equivalent to 1200 households .
Had the MDA Government been strict with the law that each cement plant should have its own captive power plants to generate its own power needs (a legal need of these plants),Meghalaya would not feel the present woes. Herein lies the NGT ban conspiracy theory. If these plants say they use the captive power plants which are fired by coal so not to bring woes to domestic consumers, then the NGT would pounce on them. And if they say that they are not using captive power plants on account of the NGT ban on coal mining the residents of Greater Shillong or those drawing power from the same grid would pounce on them and charge these cement plans of committing theft from the grid that is supposed to feed the domestic consumer.
The voltage at peak hours is a dismal 170 as against 220 (normal). This increases the bill 2 by two times. The current increase plus the machine efficiency decrease tends to inflate the bill. With the smart meter it may go up by three times. As domestic consumers of electricity we are being heavily duped. It would not be wrong to say that we would experience more such woes in this coming monsoon, with the Umiam Lake unable to generate power to the full capacity.
And what about our smart meters which were intended to reduce transmission and distribution losses? What is the status of the smart metering process today? Will the Government inform us of the correct position rather than leaving us to do our own guess work. The MDA Government has to come clean on the status of the power scenario in Meghalaya today.
Yours etc
James Carey Wahlang
Shillong 14.
KHADC in a crisis
Editor,
The recent MoU signed between the two Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya has opened up a pandora’s box. The status quo that was maintained all this while from both sides stressed on one important thing that is if any social or community development were to be undertaken by any side, the other party would intimate the neighbouring state provided that it was “beneficial” for the people. However, such an arrangement had its pros and cons wherein people had dual voting rights and a number of illegal migrants also got themselves enrolled in the electoral rolls. The recent letter of the 11 NPP MDCs showing support to the MoU throws up a number of questions for the ruling MDA Government in the state and the principal position of the MDCs of the KHADC. It shows that the 11 NPP MDCs have abandoned their rightful duty to stand with their constituents in such times and where land is the subject matter the very Council has abdicated and abandoned its constitutional duty. If the Himas and Raids are to be left to fend for themselves then why do we still need such MDCs to ask for votes in 2024?
Yours etc..
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar,
Via email
Human activities hurt the environment
Editor,
According to a recent UN report, human activities have already altered 70% of the earth’s land surface and degraded up to 40% of it. The report says that food systems cause 80% of deforestation, 29% of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. The authors of the report from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) point out that never before in modern history has man faced such risks and hazards. If such activities of man are perpetuated, an area almost the size of South Africa could be degraded by 2050. On the other hand, if land is protected and restored it could lead to the creation of 4m km2 of new natural areas by 2050.
It must be noted that the report comes just a few days before the UNCCD’s COP15 scheduled to be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast from 9 to 20 May this year. It is hoped that COP 15 will strengthen the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. The UN is observing the decade from 2021 to 2030 as the decade of Ecosystem Restoration with the aim of preventing, stopping and reversing ecosystem degradation. The UN expects governments to offer practicable responses to the challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss.
The report says that global land restoration commitments will cost a substantial amount of money. As most developing countries cannot meet these costs, they would need extra financial support from developed countries.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam
Colossal collapse of the Congress
Editor,
Judging from the latest political developments in the country, the grand old party, which has ruled the country for almost 70 years, has suffered a series of reverses from state to parliamentary elections held during last eight years except in some bye-elections. It is certain that this party is not going to regain its past glory any time in next five years or in the near future at the Centre and in the state unless it knows how to reform itself and adapt and adopt itself to the changing times. Just recently, the High Command of the party has requested inputs from Prashant Kishor, the election strategist in India, to suggest ways and means and strategies to be adopted by the Party to enable it to return to power? We do not know whether the party bosses paid him for his services or if he offered his advice gratis. Having sat for almost one week with top leaders of the Congress and laying out plans and strategies for the grand old party, he understood that it is futile and a waste of time to spend more of his precious time and energies with the stoic dead wood of the party top bosses. He clearly understood that the earlier he distances himself from this party the better it is for him. His diplomatic comment after the exercise was, ” In my opinion, more than me, the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms”. It was understood that the present set of top leaders of the party underestimated and belittled K.P but at the same time they clearly found it hard to adopt the strategies he suggested for it meant affecting sweeping reforms within the Party by infusing youth and new dynamism which will cost dearly for those following the old school of thought. Most are exceedingly self-seeking and a liability to the Party. They do not support any leadership outside the Gandhi family and hence they stand in the way of leadership change that will usher in new leadership of the ambitious intelligent youth and the masses of Indian voters.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Sr. Journalist,
Shillong- 2.