Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday laid the foundation stone for the Riangdo Small Hydro Power Project at Suanggre Hamegam village in Shahlang under West Khasi Hills district.
The ‘Run of the River’ project is the first power project in the entire West Khasi Hills district and once completed, it will have an installed capacity of 3 MW with two units of 1.5 MW each.
The project is expected to bring a significant change in the power scenario of the area which frequently suffers from power cuts and perpetual voltage fluctuations.
Meghalaya power minister James P.K. Sangma, Mawshynrut MLA, Gigur Myrthong, Nongstoiñ MLA, M. Byrsat and senior officials of the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL) and district officials were present on the occasion.
Lauding the efforts of the MePGCL, landowners and stakeholders for their cooperation in bringing the project to fruition, the chief minister said the project will bring stability to the supply of electricity in the area which witnesses frequent power disruptions.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the hardworking officials of the MePGCL, different clans and landowners for their cooperation and dedication, and the commitment of minister in charge of power, that this project could see the light of day,” the chief minister said.
“This is a big project in which the government will be investing around Rs 30 crore.”
“Once this project is completed it will not only be a blessing to the villages and the people of the area but will be a great boon to the state’s power sector,” the chief minister added.
In his address, power minister James K. Sangma said it is the endeavour of the state power department to ensure power generating capacity of the state is increased while stating that Meghalaya has the potential to the tune of 3,000 MW.
Stating that the power sector in Meghalaya has faced a lot of challenges, the minister said things are set to improve in the near future.
He informed that three new techno-economic clearances have been accorded in the last week to three projects in Meghalaya that will increase the installed capacity of additional 30 MW.
‘This is a very big achievement for the power department and the power department is really moving from strength to strength to ensure that we are once again a power surplus state,” said the power minister.
“Similar future projects will not just provide stable supply and enough electricity for everybody but also bring about a means of increased revenue generation for our state,” the minister added.
