Meghalaya's power crisis may continue as Umiam Lake water level down: Minister

Meghalaya, which is reeling under a power crisis for the past few days, may have to suffer more in the coming days as the water level at a key dam used in producing hydel electricity is at its lowest, Power Minister A T Mondal said.

The power generation may have to be shut down if the water level at Umiam Lake goes down by another foot, he said.

"The water level as of today is 3,165 feet. This is the lowest in the history of the lake. The lowest water level recorded was 3,170 feet a few years ago," Mondal told PTI on Tuesday.

Any hydel power project needs a minimum water level for generating electricity. The minimum level of water required for power generation at Umiam is 3,164 feet.

Built in the early 1960s, the Umiam reservoir is located about 10 km north of Shillong. The maximum water level of the reservoir is 3,210 feet (978.41 metres).

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A senior power department official said only 88 million units are available now in the state against a demand of 200 million units.

Another 35 million units from the Kopili stage I project are also not available due to a technical snag in the generation unit, and power supplies from two other plants in the state, have also been shut down due to low water levels, he said.

At present, several parts of the state are facing power cuts of up to 10 hours daily.

With the water level going down continuously, the minister said, heavy rainfall is required to increase it and thus save the people from power cuts in the days to come.

The Meghalaya High Court recently slammed the state government for its inability to take measures to address the power crisis.

Hearing a PIL, a divisional bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh directed the state and Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited to file separate affidavits outlining immediate, short-term, and long-term measures to address the problem.