Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma lays foundation for first power project in West Khasi hills

SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today laid the foundation stone for the Riangdo Small Hydro Power Project at Suanggre Hamegam village, Shallang , West Khasi hills district.

The ‘ Run of the River ’ project is the first power project in the entire West Khasi hills and once completed will have an installed capacity of 3.00 MW with two units of 1.5 MW each.

The project is expected to bring a significant change in the power scenario in the area which frequently suffers from power cuts and perpetual voltage fluctuations.

Lauding the efforts of the Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL), the land owners and stakeholders for their cooperation and bringing the project to fruition, the CM said that the project will bring stability in the supply of electricity in the area which witnesses frequent power disruptions.

“This is a big project in which 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 CM said.

In his address, power minister James K. Sangma said that it is the endeavour of the power department to ensure power generating capacity of the State is increased, even as he pointed out that Meghalaya has a power generation potential to the tune of 3000 MW.

Stating that the power sector in the State is faced with a “lot of challenges”, the minister said that the situation is 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 by additional 30 MW.

“This is a very big achievement for the power department, which is really moving from strength to strength to ensure that we are once again a power surplus State. Similar future projects will not just provide stable supply and enough electricity for everybody but also bring about means of increased revenue generation for our State," he

said.