Umrangso (Assam), Dec 11:The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) wants to execute power projects in Meghalaya but acquiring land for this purpose is a major hurdle.
NEEPCO organised a trip today for local journalists to the Kopili Hydro Electric Project, which spans the states of Meghalaya and Assam.
Officials said that NEEPCO is eager to execute power projects in Meghalaya for the benefit of the people of the state but the problem is that “the government of Meghalaya is not the owner of the land,” NEEPCO Executive Director Jayanta Sarma told reporters in Umrangso.
Sarma said that the Meghalaya Forest Department possesses only 5 to 6 per cent of the total area. “They cannot provide us land and locals are not ready to part with their land,” Sarma said.
He also said that the Mawphu, now known as the Wah Umiam III, Hydroelectric Project of 85 MW is stalled by land issues. Sarma also said that NEEPCO also did not get forest clearance. The public utility is also looking at pumped storage projects but, again, land is an issue.
NEEPCO has so far constructed six hydro projects in the North East totalling 1,525 MW, contributing 39 percent installed capacity in the region while another 1,126 MW are under construction in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Kopili Hydro Electric Project has an installed capacity of 275 MW. As the project is located in both Assam and Meghalaya, the two states get a 6 percent share each of the power generated.
Sarma also noted that the rat-hole coal mining ban in Meghalaya has had a positive effect on the Kopili River. Since the ban in 2014 the acidity level of the river has come down.
“We found the pH value to be around 3 to 3.5 – it is too acidic. Now the acidity level has improved and now it stands at around 5 or 5.5 pH,” he stated.
Acidic water can corrode parts of the power generating project. Therefore, stainless steel has been used in all machine parts that come into contact with the ater.
