SHILLONG, June 28: The Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited has rescheduled the load-shedding hours across the state with effect from Wednesday.
As per the new station-wise schedule of power cut announced by MePDCL, areas covered by Mustem and Khliehriat sub-stations will face power cut from 5 am to 7 am and again from 2 pm to 4 pm.
For Lumshnong area, the timing of load-shedding will be from 6 am to 8 am and again from 6 pm to 8 pm.
For Mawlyndep, IIM & NEIGRIHMS, the load-shedding timing will be from 7 am to 9 am and from 10 pm till midnight.
Areas covered by Mawlai and NEHU sub-stations will face power cuts from 1 am to 5 am whereas Mawphlang and Cherra sub-stations would have load-shedding from 11 pm to 1 am and again from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Nongstoin will face load-shedding from 11 pm till 1 am and again from 7 am to 9 am.
Areas falling under the sub-stations of Umiam Stage-I & Stage-III (Shillong area) will have load-shedding from 8 am to 10 am and again from 11 pm to 12 midnight.
In EPIP I & II (for IEHT& HT consumers) there will be power cut from 6 pm to 10 pm while for public feeders the load-shedding timings have been set from 9 am to 12 noon. The sub-station at Killing (Sai Prakash) will face power cut from 8 pm to 12 noon.
Tynsong said the MeECL has been forced to resort to load-shedding due to the breakdown of some of the units of Leshka Hydroelectric and Umtrew Stage I & II power projects. The power shortage is about 122 MW because of the low generation from these projects.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had on Monday said there are multiple reasons for the sudden power regulation in the state. Three units of national companies from which Meghalaya buys power have not been functioning, leading to the shortfall of 110 MW in the state, he had said.
“We are facing a crisis which is beyond our control in the past few days. The MeECL has to resort to temporary power load shedding across the state,” Tynsong said.
According to him, one unit of the Leshka Power Project had recently broken down.
“Right now, the repairing work is going on. Again, one unit each of Umtrew Stage I and Stage II broke down. We are trying to restore the units within a week’s time,” he said.
Tynsong also said there is some technical snag in the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) which has reduced the supply of power to the MeECL.
“We are in touch with the management of the NEEPCO. I am sure we will soon be able to lift the load-shedding that is happening every day,” he said.
Tynsong insisted the MeECL was asked after a review meeting two days ago to ensure that the load-shedding is not more than two hours a day. “We are trying to regulate in such a way that the power cut is for an hour during the day and an hour close to midnight to minimise the inconvenience for the people,” he said.
This was the reason a shutdown notice was not issued in advance, he added.
“We are fixing the duration of the load-shedding according to the convenience and requirement of the customers and also according to the area. We get the feedback from the executive engineers and then plan the load-shedding,” Tynsong said.
