By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 3: With the dry season approaching fast, the state government has expressed optimism that the citizens would not be subjected to load-shedding in the coming months.
The dry season in Meghalaya generally starts from November and continues till April when power cuts are frequent.
Power Minister Metbah Lyngdoh on Monday assured that MeECL would do its best to ensure that there are no power cuts during the lean season.
Informing that he will review the current power scenario and discuss the way forward, Lyngdoh added that shutdowns in different parts of the state take place due to upgradation of lines and sub stations.
“There are many schemes and projects on which work is progressing and hence power supply is required to be shut down sometimes in some areas,” the minister said while informing that prior information is given to the public residing in the affected areas before taking such measures.
Meanwhile, the minister also informed that discussions on the need for a solar power plant in the state have begun.
“A lot of things have to be taken into consideration but we are exploring the idea,” he said.
Lyngdoh, who recently attended a regional workshop on Renewable Energy–North Eastern Zone held in Guwahati, said that the state government is in the process of installing additional 2,000 solar pumps across the state.
“As far as installation of solar panels on rooftops is concerned, there are some constrains since the Ministry has set a benchmark of Rs 50,000-55,000 per KW but the actual cost comes to around Rs 80,000-85,000 since Meghalaya is a hill state and hence beneficiaries are yet to avail this scheme,” he added.
