Even as the State government had announced that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the Umngot Hydroelectric Power Project stands scrapped, a group of farmers want it in writing.
A public meeting of the farmers, backed by pressure groups, was held at Mynsang Village under Mawkynrew Block yesterday. The meeting resolved to oppose any move to construct a dam which was attended by leaders of KSU, JSU, FKJGP, HNYF, TUR and the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum.
The public meeting was also attended by the village elders from all the villages along the Umngot river and also the elders from the Elaka Darrang.
Last year, several stakeholders have come out against the project over fears that it will harm the environment, devastate farmland and put off tourists from visiting the crystal-clear river.
Public hearings were twice disrupted due to the steadfast protest of local people opposed to the project as they fear that their pristine river will be ruined by the creation of a dam on it.
According to the government, the power project is very important for Meghalaya because it will be able to generate an additional 110 megawatts of additional electricity, thereby addressing the perennial shortage of power that the state faces.
Following stiff opposition, the then Power Minister James Sangma had said that there is a need for Meghalaya to ramp up its electricity generation capacity but the Umngot project is not the only one on the cards.
