NEEPCO LOSING 12 LAKH EVERY DAY DUE TO ACIDIC DISCHARGE FROM COAL MINES

The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) is losing an estimated Rs 12 lakh every day due to damage to its Kopili hydel project caused by acidic discharge from the unscientific coal mines of Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.




The project built on the River Kopili, a tributary of the River Brahmaputra, has an installed capacity of 125 MW. The project has four major units with an installed capacity of 50 MW each.

However, in the past two years, two out of the four turbines of the project are routinely down for repair works, due to corrosion of its parts caused by acidity in the reservoir water.

Shut down of a single unit lowers production of the project and the revenue loss is Rs 6.19 lakh for a single day.

“For the past two years at least two, out of the four turbines, are routinely shut down for maintenance. The revenue loss therefore is over 12 lakh per day,” a senior NEEPCO official told theAssam Tribune.

The official said that most of the damage to the machinery is underwater as the Water of the River is acidic and has corroded the machine parts. “We are trying to replace the machine parts temporarily with stainless steel parts,” the official added.

The long term solution to the problem is of course in persuading the Meghalaya Government to put a check on the acidic discharge from the unscientific mining in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills.

Moreover, NEEPCO is also in touch with the Union Power Minister and there are also studies being conducted to find a solution to this problem. “IIT, Guwahati and others are also conducting research to find a solution to the problem, but until then NEEPCO is losing out on production and revenue,” the official maintained.

The Kopili hydro electric plant, the first hydro electric power plant constructed by NEEPCO, was commissioned in the year 1984 built on River Kopili which has its source in the upper reaches of Meghalaya. The plant comprises of two concrete dams- Khandong and Umrong dam.

Meghalaya and Assam are the two “host” States of the project as the reservoir falls in Meghalaya and the Power House is in Assam. Therefore, Meghalaya and Assam each gets 6 per cent free power from Kopili project.

Meanwhile, NEEPCO came out with a statement today stating that the “recent forced shutdown of the project was taken for safety of the power station as there was heavy leakage of water while running the units.” The leakages were caused due to corrosion of the machinery, NEEPCO said.

MEGHALAYA GOVERNOR RECOMMENDS CMJ UNIVERSITY DISSOLUTION

Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary has recommended to the State Government to dissolve the Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University for “failing to accomplish the objectives of the University, apart from criminal liabilities.”



The Governor in his letter to the Governor last evening said “established facts clearly indicate mismanagement, maladministration, indiscipline and failure in the accomplishment of the objectives of the University, apart from criminal liabilities.”



Mooshahary added that in the interest of maintaining proper standards of higher education it is desirable that CMJ University “be wound up.” “The State Government is accordingly being addressed to consider dissolution of the CMJ University in terms of Section 48 of the CMJ University Act, 2009,” the Governor said.


In his four page letter, the Governor gave out the details of the violation, as the visitor of the now sealed University, under seven points. First he said that CM Jha the Chairman of the CMJ Foundation has remained “incommunicado all these days,” and termed the attitude as unfortunate, despite the Institution being sealed for wrongdoings.



The Governor further said that the University’s office was vandalized and the students were accused for the criminal act. “According to the police it was engineered by the University staff at the instance of one of the Directors. It was a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence and the case is under police investigation,” Mooshahary pointed out.



The other issue pointed out was that the University started to function without a Chancellor. The Governor said it was a “breach of trust.” During this period the University awarded B.Ed degree through distance mode without requisite approval from regulatory bodies and without affiliation.



Moreover, the University awarded PhD degrees to 434 students and enrolled another 490 students. “Information is also available with us that another 29 students have also received PhD degree from the University and more information is coming on a daily basis,” he added.



The Governor said the University awarded PhD degrees even in subjects like Bodo and Punjabi languages “where guides and faculty are not easily available,” Mooshahary pointed out. The number of faculty members with PhD degree as furnished by the University is “inaccurate.”



Based on the facts cited, Mooshahary said, the University repeatedly acted in contravention of Section 52 of the CMJ University Act 2009 in respect of maintenance of standards and other related matters applicable to private Universities,” and therefore recommended its dissolution.

MEGHALAYA COP RAPES MINORS IN OFFICE CHAMBER, FLEES

Giving just three days to submit a report and find out how a “rapist” Meghalaya police fled from police custody, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) today said it would have “zero tolerance” on the case.

Summoning the Director General of Police, Prem Singh, Principal Secretary (Home) and (Social welfare), KS Kropha and PW Ingty respectively before the Commission here today, the investigation report that these officials presented before it was rejected as the document was “incomplete and not satisfactory.”

“The report submitted by the Meghalaya Government was incomplete and not satisfactory. We are not happy with the report. Therefore, a high level inquiry must be instituted and the report must be submitted within three days,” Yogesh Dubey, member NCPCR, said.

On the other hand, the Commission has directed the Meghalaya Government to suspend “all the supervising officials involved in the case”, this includes a Deputy Superintendent of Police at Ampati Police Station, which is the constituency of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma in South West Garo Hills district.

Two Sisters were allegedly raped by the Officer in-charge of Ampati Police Station, Nurul Islam after getting the minors into the police Station on some pretext, which is still not clear. The minors were later threatened under gun point not to disclose the crime.

However after an FIR was filed by the victims’ father on Saturday, the police “arrested” Islam, but “put him in a Government quarter in Tura instead of a lock up,” from where he fled. Islam and another police official have been placed under suspension.

“There have been serious lapses in this case and we have insisted that stern action must be taken against all those who are found guilty,” Dubey added.

The Commission further directed the police to book the accused under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. Moreover, the security of the victims and their family would now lie on the Government till the accused is nabbed.

Further, the Commission has not taken kindly the reinstatement of Sub-Inspector, SN Roy in his post, after being suspended for allegedly raping a minor in another case. The Commission directed the State Government to suspend him immediately.