Meghalaya would do better to invest heavily in solar farms instead of pursuing the Umngot hydroelectric power project, according to at least one environmentalist.
“There is no need to build a dam but just invest in building solar farms on barren hills and other land,” Bremley Wanbantei Blah Lyngdoh told Highland Post today. “We can build 11 solar power farms in all 11 districts of Meghalaya, each generating 10 to 50 megawatts, depending on the electricity needs of the particular district.”
Public hearings were twice disrupted recently 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 Power Minister James Sangma, the project is very important for Meghalaya because it will be able to generate an additional 110 MW of additional electricity, thereby addressing the perennial shortage of electricity that the state faces.
According to Lyngdoh, it would cost Rs 1,100 crore to install more than 7 lakh solar panels on 720 acres of land, which would produce 240 MW of electricity, whereas a dam will destroy ecosystems that are worth many times this amount for generations to come.
Land that could be used for such solar projects include barren and deforested areas across the state. “That way we can build decentralised solar plants in all 11 districts, with the biggest ones in East Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi, where the big industries are located,” he added.
Lyngdoh was also scathing in his assessment of the way the government considers projects.
“Here they have no clue of basic economics and cost-benefit analysis. They just see money and power flowing on the River Umngot. To generate power locally we will save energy in transmission. We lose a lot of electricity on transmission via high power cables over long distances. But we can save a lot of power by generating locally,” he said.
