Shillong, March 27: Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal on Thursday said the department is constantly monitoring as well as taking measures to ensure the safety of the Umiam Dam is maintained.
Speaking to reporters, Mondal said the power department and the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) are more concerned about the health of the Dam.
According to him, the concerns have been minimized to a larger extent after the completion of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) work.
“We have restricted the passing of heavy vehicles considering the safety of the Dam only. We are constantly monitoring. Our people are stationed there and we have even kept a police force there so that the safety of the Dam is maintained,” Mondal said.
Stating that the lifespan of the Dam is a matter of concern, the minister said, “Now the question is what will it be in the near future when the lifespan is over. This is a challenging issue because Umiam Dam is supplying water for 216 megawatt of the four units of Umiam and also the new Umtru power project near Byrnihat. All the waters are going from Umiam reservoir. This is a matter of concern. We are discussing it also but as of now we have not taken any concrete decision. Hopefully it will be discussed and deliberation will be there about what it will be but technology is fast changing, so that way there will also be technologies where lifespan can be further extended also but nevertheless, we are concerned.”
Further, Mondal informed that the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has been entrusted to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for construction of an alternative route.
“I think work is on and we will have an alternative bypass and it is required also because this bridge was constructed and commissioned way back in the year of 1965. And that time the load capacity of vehicles was also low considering that time whatever the position was there the bridge was designed. Now many vehicles are carrying huge loads also. We need a different bridge which can handle such load capacity,” he added.
