SHILLONG, June 3: In power-starved Meghalaya, four dams under the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL) will get a facelift under the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) at a cost of Rs 441 crore.
According to official documents, the dams approved are Umiam Stage-I dam (Rs 215.45 crore), Umiam-Umtru Stage-III concrete dam (Rs 73.10 crore), Umiam-Umtru Stage-IV concrete dam (Rs 77.42 crore) and Myntdu-Leshka Stage-I dam (Rs 75.03 crore).
DRIP is one of the flagship projects of the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), River Development (RD), Ganga Rejuvenation (GR) and the World Bank with an objective to improve safety and operational performance of selected dams in the country. The MoWR, RD and GD initiated DRIP-II with assistance from the World Bank.
The loan agreement was signed in August 2021 with the loan effectuation date being October 12 the same year.
The date of commencement of the project was February 11 this year while the date of completion of the project (original) is December 31, 2027.
The Rs 441 crore estimates include external assistance of Rs 352.80 crore while the counterpart funding by the state is Rs 88.20 crore. The preparation of bid documents for other components is in progress, according to official papers.
The balance bid, it is said, can be floated soon in order to achieve the minimum 30% World Bank criteria.
Out of the Rs 441 crore, only one bid, amounting to Rs 22.947 crore, has been awarded so far, an official of the Power department said.
