Meghalaya cabinet sanctions Rs 30 crore to complete stalled hydro project in West Garo Hills

The Meghalaya cabinet has approved an additional Rs 30 crore to clear pending contractor dues for the Ganol Stage-I Small Hydro Project in Tura, bringing the total completion cost to Rs 590.88 crore. The 22.5 MW project has been completed after years of delays.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced that the state will proceed with multiple power generation initiatives, including a revived agreement with Athena Projects Private Limited for the long-stalled Kynshi Stage-I project.

The cabinet has decided to sign a fresh Memorandum of Agreement with Athena Projects for the Kynshi project, which has been stuck in limbo for several years. Originally planned as a 450 MW facility, technical studies revealed the project's maximum viable capacity at 270 MW, leading to cost concerns that had stalled progress.

The project faced multiple setbacks when Athena initially hesitated due to reduced capacity and changing economics. Attempts to incorporate pump storage and solar components failed to materialise after the central government's new guidelines made such additions unviable for both parties.

Despite the complications, the state government chose to move forward with Athena, recognising the company's substantial groundwork, including environmental clearances and community engagement over the years.

The cabinet approved Rs 14 crore for upgrading the Riangdo Small Hydro Project from 3 MW to 6 MW capacity. A detailed study by IIT Roorkee confirmed the project's potential for expansion, which will make the facility economically viable while boosting the Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited's production capacity.

The government has greenlit two privately funded hydro projects that will provide free power to the state. The Nongmer Small Hydro Project, with 24 MW capacity, will operate under a public-private partnership where the state will purchase 30 per cent of the generated power while receiving an additional 12 per cent free of cost.

Similarly, the 13.5 MW Umran project, identified by JMB Aqua Private Limited in the Umran Basin, received cabinet approval under the same framework.