Meghalaya: Umiam reservoir in crisis following decline in water level, power generation severely affected

Meghalaya’s Umiam reservoir is in huge crisis as water level in the dam continues to decline due to delayed monsoon, thus affecting power generation.

Currently, the water level at Umiam reservoir stands at 3165 ft, recorded lowest in the history, said Minister incharge of Power department, AT Mondal while speaking to media personnel on Tuesday. 

“There is a permissible limit of the water level in which we can run the unit, so if keeps on declining for another feet, we have to shut down Umiam”, said Mondal. 

However, the Power Minister said as of now the government will continue with the loadshedding scenario, with Tura and Shillong restricted to 8 hours of load shedding, and some parts of the state with 10 hours.
Normalcy will return when rainy season begins, added the Power Minister.

Notably, the Power Minister along with experts from IIT Guwahati inspected the Umiam Dam on May 16. The Power Minister however said that government is working to find a solution to this issue and looking to minimise the power shortage, and exploring all options required. 

“As for long term measures they take time, it is not like today we decide on a new power project and tomorrow it is set up, it is a long process. For the medium term we have to look at the type of projects, if it maybe hydel, thermal or any other source. So we are exploring all those issues, and hopefully we are trying to minimise the power scarcity at the earliest”, said Mondal in finding permanent solution on the power crisis in the state.

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