Irrigation and hydro power of Meghalaya
Bamboo irrigation in Meghalaya
In Meghalaya (one of the seven northeastern states in India), an ingenious system of tapping of stream and springwater by using bamboo pipes to irrigate plantations is widely prevalent. It is so perfected that about 18-20 litres of water entering the bamboo pipe system per minute gets transported over several hundred metres and finally gets reduced to 20-80 drops per minute at the site of the plant. The tribal farmers of Khasi and Jaintia hills use the 200-year-old system.
Dating back 200 years, tribes in Meghalaya have used bamboo drip irrigation as a means of bringing water to seasonal crops. This traditional technology uses locally available material while harnessing the forces of gravity. Holed bamboo shoots are placed downhill, diverting the natural flow of streams and springs across terraced cropland. The advantages of using bamboo are such that it prevents leakage, increases crop yield with less water, and makes use of natural, local, and inexpensive material.
The Jaintia, Khasi, and Garo hills of Meghalaya are largely made up of steep slopes and generally rocky terrain where the soil has low water retention capacity and where the use of groundwater channels is impossible. During the dry seasons, rain fed crops such as paddy, betel leaf, and black peppers can be irrigated by bamboo drip irrigation.
The bamboo drip irrigation system is normally used to irrigate the betel leaf or black pepper crops planted in arecanut orchards or in mixed orchards. Bamboo pipes are used to divert perennial springs on the hilltops to the lower reaches by gravity. The channel sections, made of bamboo, divert and convey water to the plot site where it is distributed without leakage into branches, again made and laid out with different forms of bamboo pipes. Manipulating the intake pipe positions also controls the flow of water into the lateral pipes. Reduced channel sections and diversion units are used at the last stage of water application. The last channel section enables the water to be dropped near the roots of the plan.
Bench terrace Irrigation practice
This is the common irrigation practice in Meghalaya as well as throughout the North East Himalayan region. The hill streams are tapped as soon as they emerge from the forests and the water is channeled to accommodate a series of terraces. In this system, water flows continuously from the upper to lower terraces. This method of irrigation practice is widely used for non-fertile land to be utilized for raising rice crops. Stone and gunny bags help in the maintenance of terraces and stop soil erosion problems. Submergence of water up to 5 – 8 cm is maintained continuously throughout the year. After harvesting, ear head of rice is plucked and the straw is left as such in the field, which then gets rotted and helps improving soil fertility. Mostly all farm operation is done manually; bullock power is used for field preparations only in some pockets of Meghalaya. Bench terracing is an important conservation measure for valleys and hill slopes. This is used predominantly for rice cultivation. In bench terrace agriculture practice under rainfed condition, topo-sequence crops such as maize, bean and potato are planted on upper slopes and crop requiring more water such as rice and jute are grown on lower slopes. The excess runoff from upper portion of slope is nutrient rich, utilized for the lower hill crops.
Hydro power in Meghalaya
Meghalaya is rich in potential water power resources, hydro power has played an important role in the state’s energy policy.
Small Hydro Power
In a move that aims to address the power requirements of the Megahlaya, as many as 50 mini and micro hydel power projects have been identified to be set up in different districts of the state.
The projects which have already been commissioned include Sonapani on Wahumkhra-Umshyrpi river, Pashyiang Micro HEP on Barim river and Umsaw Micro HEP on Umsaw river. The Lakhroh Micro HEP on Lakhroh river in Jaintia Hills district is under construction.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also identified 37 mini and micro hydel projects in the state with a cumulative power generation capacity of around 8.5 MW. Out of the total 37 projects, elecven project sites are located in West Garo Hills, South Garo Hills and East Garo Hills districts; nine of them in West Khasi Hills district; eight in East Khasi Hills district; six in the Jaintia Hills district and three in Ri Bhoi district.
Some of the hydro power projects in Meghalaya are as follows:
Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Project
The Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Project Dam (3X42 MW)[2] built across the river, undertaken by MeECL, scheduled in three phases, is located at Leshka, West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya near Amlarem, the sub-division headquarters. The project cost is estimated to be around INR 360 crores.
Umiam Hydro Power Complex
All the power stations are in the Umtru River which flows to the north into the mighty Brahmaputra. Running adjacent to this river are two other rivers viz. the Umiam and the Khri. Water from the Umiam basin is diverted into the adjacent Umtru basin thus enhancing the water flow of the Umtru River where all four power stations are constructed. In a similar manner, the water from the Khri River is also intended to be diverted to the existing reservoirs at the Umtru River to further enhance the power generation at the existing system.
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