The 132-mw Myntdu Leksha
hydropower project in
Meghalaya is set to be formally
inaugurated soon, according to
Shillong, H. Massar, Superintending
Engineer, Meghalaya Energy
Corporation Ltd, speaking to Electrical
Monitor over phone from Shillong.
Located in Jantia Hills district, the
project has three units of 42 mw each.
The first unit started commercial
operations in November last year,
Massar said. While the second unit is
scheduled to turn operational by March
15, 2012, the third unit is likely to be
commissioned by June. Civil and
electromechanical works on all the
units have been completed, the MECL
official said.
On full commissioning, the Myntdu
Leksha project will be the biggest
hydropower scheme in Meghalaya and
is expected to bridge the demand-supply
gap to some extent. Massar said that
once all the three units are
commissioned, the total hydropower
capacity of MECL-owned plants will be
around 311 mw. However, this would
still be short of the rising energy
demands of the growing north-eastern
state. Meghalaya also gets from power
from Central PSU North Eastern
Electricity Corporation Ltd. The peak
power demand in Meghalaya is
estimated to be around 600 mw.
The commissioning of the Myntdu
Leksha project represents an
achievement for Meghalaya. In the
planning state since the mid-1970s, the
project has a history of time and cost
overruns. Discussing some of the
project impediments, Massar explained
that non-availability of funds was the
main reason for delays. Flash floods
often jeopardized project work
resulting in significant cost escalations.
Abnormal flooding was experienced in
October 2009 and more recently in May
2011. Shortage of skilled manpower
and topography-related issues were
other challenges that the project had to
contend with. Due to geological
conditions, there was a significant
delay during the excavation of the dam,
apart from a steep increase in the
volume of concreting.
When conceived, Myntdu Leksha
was supposed to have two units of 42
mw each. Project work could start only
in October 2004. The third unit was
envisaged in January 2008. The total
completion cost of the project is
estimated to be over Rs.1,000 crore,
significantly higher than what was
anticipated at the time of technoeconomic
clearance.
Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd,
the generation arm of the erstwhile
Meghalaya State Electricity Board,
currently has six hydropower plants,
excluding Myntdu Leksha,
aggregating around 186 mw. These are
Umiam (Stage 1 to Stage 4), Umtru
and Sonapani.
According to statistics released by
Central Electricity Authority,
Meghalaya faced a peak power
shortfall of 16.3 per cent in the April-
January period of 2011-12. Peak
demand, estimated at 319 mw, was
met to the extent of only 267 mw.
Energy shortages were more acute at 24
per cent. In the given period,
Meghalaya had an estimated energy
requirement of 1,609 million kwh
against which 1,225 million kwh could
be supplied. Meghalaya is the highest
consumer of electricity in northeastern
India after Assam.