By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 18: A fierce spell of cyclonic winds and heavy rain has left Meghalaya’s power network badly damaged, cutting off electricity to vast stretches of the state and pushing restoration efforts into a race against terrain and time.
Power Minister Metbah Lyngdoh on Wednesday said the impact has been widespread, with Nongstoin, Ri-Bhoi, Jaintia Hills and parts of Garo Hills among the worst affected, where distribution lines have suffered extensive damage.
He explained that the outages are largely the result of large trees being uprooted and crashing onto transmission lines, snapping wires and toppling power infrastructure. The situation has been aggravated by the state’s difficult geography, with many faults occurring in steep, forested and hard-to-reach locations. In several areas, repair teams are unable to immediately access damaged sites due to debris and blocked routes.
Lyngdoh indicated that in remote and hilly pockets, restoring power could take up to two to three days, as crews are forced to navigate dangerous terrain and manually clear obstructions before repair work can even begin.
While Shillong has seen relatively limited damage, some localities are still experiencing power interruptions. Efforts are under way to remove fallen branches and restore damaged transformers in the city, the minister stated.
The crisis is far more severe in the interior regions, where entire stretches remain without electricity. Though supply has been normalised in places with minor disruptions, teams on the ground are engaged in extensive repair work in remote areas, including erecting new poles and re-laying lines across forests and deep valleys.
The minister urged residents to remain patient, stating that restoration is progressing but will take longer in rural belts where access remains a major hurdle.
