SHILLONG, Dec 3: The city along with the entire state usually experiences lengthy power cuts and load shedding during the winter season.
However, Power Minister, James Sangma is optimistic that the situation would not be the same this year.
Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, Sangma said the government aspired to transform Meghalaya into a “zero power cut state” even as he maintained that the state witnessed reduced power cuts since the NPP-led MDA government took over in 2018.
“We aspire to bring the situation to zero power cuts, and so far, we have been successful this year. While power cuts for months at a stretch during winter were a routine drill during the previous governments, we stay committed to ensure that students study not in the light of candles but under uninterrupted power,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government has also decided to go for cent percent underground cabling in Shillong, Tura and Jowai to reduce incidents of electrocution in the absence of fencing around transformers.
He said the concept has been executed in some localities on a trial basis and that it would also improve the aesthetic looks of the capital city.
“The government would also replace old wire with aerial bunched cable in the rural areas during the ADB (Asian Development Bank) Phase II programme,” the minister said.
In addition, he said the government has decided to renovate and modernise hydro power projects, to be completed in six to eight months, which would help in more power generation.
He also said there were plans to revamp four dams in the state including the Umiam and Leshka dams.
As far as solar power was concerned, the minister alleged the state previously could not produce even a single MW (mega watt) of solar power.
But ever since the NPP-led government took over, he claimed the state sanctioned 90 MW solar power and would add 100 MW solar power in the next six to eight months.
