Meghalaya, July 27, 2023: During a PIL hearing addressing the severe electricity shortfall in Meghalaya, the High Court, headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh, urged the government to devise a comprehensive long-term plan to tackle the deficit.

The division bench emphasized the need for empirical studies to determine the expected demand and stressed the importance of presenting a blueprint for a sustainable solution. The Court expressed hope that a well-structured long-term plan to eliminate the electricity shortfall within the next five to eight years would be submitted at the next hearing, scheduled six weeks from now, the _LiveLaw_ reported.

Earlier this month, the High Court had taken a stern view of the 50-60% shortfall in meeting electricity demand and encouraged the State to explore alternative power sources to reduce the deficit. In response, the State provided a status report indicating that the shortfall has now decreased to 13%.

While acknowledging the progress made, the Court deemed the remaining figure to be “quite significant” and urged the State to expedite measures to eliminate the entire shortfall in a reasonable timeframe. However, the Court also highlighted that such actions have a gestation period and cannot be addressed overnight due to factors such as revenue, expenses, infrastructure projects, and policy matters.

The Court suggested that the State consider the establishment of small water-based power plants, taking advantage of Meghalaya’s hilly terrain, abundant rainfall, and consistent water flow throughout the year. By opting for smaller hydel projects in suitable locations, the State can harness its natural resources for sustainable power generation without extensive deforestation.

To bridge the immediate demand-supply gap, the bench recommended that the State explore the possibility of procuring power from the open grid or other Central power agencies with surplus electricity.

The next hearing, scheduled for September 8, 2023, will assess the State’s progress in implementing the long-term plan and review the efforts made to address the electricity shortfall.