MeSEB bank on rains for uninterrupted power supply

Shillong, Jan 29 (UNI) The people of Meghalaya have come down heavily on the state government for severe power cuts ahead of Board and University examinations.

This was for the first time that the Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB) had to resort to load-shedding especially at a time when the examinations are round the corner.

''It is a big shame that the government has failed to provide electricity ahead of examinations, said a local student Thomas Diengdoh, who charged the government with preferring industrial units to the students.

The MeSEB decided to effect load-shedding from January 16 last after the water level at Umiam (Barapani) dam reservoir had reached its dangerous level.

Until today, the water level at Umiam dam reservoiris is 3185.51 feet.

MeSEB Chairman WMS Pariat told UNI here today that the Board was equally concerned with the ongoing power-cuts and said the Board was hardpressed to take this drastic step due to shortage of monsoon rain last year.

''We are trying to arrange funds to buy power from other agencies to ensure that the student's community are not affected by frequent power cuts,'' Mr Pariat said.

However, to ensure the spirits of the students are not affected by these frequent power-cuts, the state government is all set to buy power from other agencies.

However, MeSEB officials said the only solution lay in continuous rain for ten or twelve days to fill up the Umiam dam reservoir, the power life of the state.

UNI