Staff Reporter, Shillong: In a major push for the state’s energy infrastructure, the Meghalaya Cabinet has approved an additional ₹30 crore to clear pending contractor dues for the long-delayed Ganol Stage-I Small Hydro Project in Tura. With this, the total cost of the 22.5 MW project now stands at ₹590.88 crore. The project, which faced years of delays, has finally been completed. Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced that the government is moving ahead with several power generation initiatives, including reviving the Kynshi Stage-I Hydropower Project. The Cabinet has approved a fresh Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Athena Projects Private Limited to resume work on the stalled project. Initially planned as a 450 MW venture, technical assessments later revealed the Kynshi project’s viable capacity to be 270 MW. The reduced scale and cost implications led to years of deadlock, with earlier plans to integrate pump storage and solar components falling through due to central government policy changes. However, given Athena’s prior groundwork—such as securing environmental clearances and engaging local communities—the state opted to proceed with the company under a revised agreement. In another key decision, the Cabinet approved ₹14 crore for upgrading the Riangdo Small Hydro Project in West Khasi Hills from 3 MW to 6 MW. A feasibility study by IIT Roorkee confirmed the project's viability, paving the way for increased generation capacity under the Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited (MeECL). Further boosting the state’s renewable energy portfolio, the Cabinet approved two privately funded hydro projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The 24 MW Nongmer Small Hydro Project will allow the state to purchase 30% of generated power and receive 12% free of cost. Similarly, the 13.5 MW Umran Hydro Project, proposed by JMB Aqua Private Limited in the Umran Basin, received approval under the same structure. These developments mark a significant stride in Meghalaya’s push for clean energy and energy self-sufficiency.
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