People of power-starved Meghalaya may have to bear with intermittent load shedding as the future of new power projects are caught in uncertainty.
The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance-led government has cancelled two hydro- electric projects during the last three months.
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The Meghalaya cabinet on Wednesday has approved the cancellation of an agreement signed in 2010 with M/s Sew Energy Limited for the 65 MW Rangmaw hydro project.
Deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong said that the company had sent a proposal to cancel the agreement which the was signed in 2010 as the project is not feasible.
“The company had asked for cancellation of and the power department has agreed to cancel it,” Tynsong said.
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On August 7, the MDA government had terminated an agreement signed in 2007 with the M/s Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited for executing the 270 MW Umngot Hydro Electric Project.
The agreement on Umngot Hydro Electric Project was cancelled because unexplained delay in execution by M/s Jaiprakash Power Ventures Limited.
Unfortunately, commissioning of the 22.5 MW Ganol Hydro Electric Project in Garo hills is also delayed as progress of the work is far behind the schedule. The project may not be complete before January 2022.
The Ganol Hydro Electric project has encountered several delays since it was conceived way back in 2006.
The estimated cost for the Project is Rs 177.53 crore, and is being implemented under 70% loan and 30% equity (NLCPR funding).
The project was delayed due to change in scope of work and is now being executed on a turnkey basis in a single package.
Works for the 22.5 MW project started in 2014, and it should have been completed by 2017.
As the peak load demand for Meghalaya is about 500 MW, there is always a shortfall, and state has been forced to purchase power almost every day.