Khasi and Jaintia hills – Meghalaya PCS Free Notes

Vegetation of Meghalaya

October 22, 2017October 26, 2024 by rawan239

Vegetation of Meghalaya

The floral diversity of Meghalaya is well reputed for its richness and has been a centre of attraction for many botanists.
The presence of a large number of primitive flowering plants has prompted Takhtajan (1969) to call it the Cradle of Flowering Plants’.
Meghalaya harbours about 3,128 species of flowering plants and contributes about 18% of the total flora of the country, including 1,237 endemic species.
A wide variety of wild cultivable plants, edible fruits, leafy vegetables and orchids are found in the natural forests of Meghalaya.
However due to overexploitation, deforestation and habitat destruction many endemic and threatened species are now mainly confined to the protected areas and sacred groves.
The region is a habitat for many botanical curiosities and botanical rarities.
Among insectivorous plants Nepenthes khasiana Hk. f. and two species of Drosera i.e, Drosera peltata Sm. and D. burmanii Vahl. are important.
Nepenthes khasiana is endemic to Meghalaya and listed in Appendix I of CITES and placed in Schedule VI of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Khasi and Jaintia hills are considered to be the centre of diversity for several primitive families such as Elaeocarpaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Anonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Piperraceae, Menispermaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Lauraceae, Myricaceae, Lazarbiaceae and primitive genera like Sarcandra, Corylopis, Myrica, Magnolia and Michelia.

Types of Vegetation of Meghalaya

According to Champion & Seth (1968), major forest types of Vegetation of Meghalaya are:-

Assam Sub-tropical Hill Savanna
Khasi Sub-tropical Hill Forests
Assam Sub-tropical Pine Forests
Assam Sub-tropical Pine Savannah

Haridasan & Rao (1985-87) recognized the following major categories of Vegetation of Meghalaya based on altitude, rainfall and dominant species composition:

Tropical Evergreen Forests
Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forests
Tropical Moist and Dry Deciduous Forests
Grasslands and Savannas
Temperate Forests
Sub-tropical Pine Forests

Tropical Evergreen Forests:

This forest type spreads over the lower reaches of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo hills up to 1200m and usually occurs in high rainfall areas as well as near catchment areas.
The dominant tree species include Castanopsis indica, Tribuloides,Dysoxylum sp, Elaeocarpus sp, Engelhardtia spicata, Syzygium spp., Tetrameles nudifloraetc. which are densely interwoven by lianas. The ground flora of under shrubs and herbs include Dracaena elliptica, Leea edgeworthia, Phlogacanthus sp., and other species belonging to the family Acanthaceae, Rubiaceae, Balsaminaceae and Asteraceae.
The tree trunk and branches are covered with epiphytes belonging to Ferns, Orchids, Gesneriads, Piper, mosses and many others.
Lianas and climbers like Rhaphidophora spp. are also abundant.

Tropical Semi Evergreen Forests:

This forest type occupy the north and north-eastern slopes of the state up to an elevation of 1200m and with an annual rainfall of 1500-2000mm.
However there are deciduous elements along with evergreen types. Careya arborea, Dillenia pentagyna, Callicarpa arborea, Tetrameles spp, etc are some of the deciduous species.
Other dominant species are Elaeocarpus floribundus, Dillenia indica, Symplocos paniculata, Sapindus rarak
The ground flora is also much seasonal with greater representation from the Zingiberaceae family.

Tropical Moist and Dry Deciduous Forest:

This is a very prominent Vegetation of Meghalaya covering a large part of East and West Garo Hills, Ri-bhoi districts etc, in areas of annual rainfall less than 1500mm and high temperature.
These forests are characterised by seasonal leaf shedding and profuse flowering. The dominant tree species which are valued economically are Shorea robusta, Tectona grandis, Terminalia myriocarpa, Gmelina arborea, Artocarpus chapsala, Lagerstroemia parviflora, Maorus laevigata
Other associated species are Schima wallichii, Toona ciliata, Albizzia lebbeck, Dillenia pentagyna, etc.
The epiphytic floras in less but orchids, ferns, Asclepidaiceae members are often seen.
Bamboo forests are not natural but occur in patches sporadically in jhum fallows. The common bamboo species are Dendrocalamus hamiltoniiand Melocanna
Some other species less frequently found are Bambusa pallida, Bambusa tulda, Chimonobambusa khasiana, etc.

Grasslands and Savannahs:

Grasslands in Vegetation of Meghalaya are secondary in nature and are prevalent in higher altitudes and are a result of removal of pristine forests, the relics of which could be seen amidst these grasslands as sacred groves.
The dominant grass genera in the grasslands are Panicum, Paspalum, Imperata, Axonopus, Neyraudia, Sporobolus, Saccharum, Chrysopogon, Oplisminusand others along with sedges.

Temperate Forests:

The temperate forests occupy the higher elevations (>1000m) with very high rainfalls (2000-5000 mm) along the Southern slopes of Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
The sacred groves largely fall under this category and are the relic type evolved through millions of years.
The common trees are Lithocarpus fenestratus, Castanopsis kurzii, Quercus griffithii, Q. semiserrata, Schima khasiana, Myrica esculenta, Symplocos glomerata, Photinia arguta, Ficus nemoralis, Manglietia caveana, Acer spp., Exbucklandia populnea, Engelhardtia spicata, Betula alnoides, Rhododendron arboretum, etc. Shrubs include Mahonia pycnophylla, Daphne papyraceae, Polygala arillata, Camellia caduca, Rubus spp.,
These forest are exceptionally rich in epiphytic flora comprising Ferns, Lichens, Mosses, Orchids, Zingibers, etc.

Subtropical Pine forests:

The pine forests are confined to the higher reaches (900m – 1500 m) of the Shillong plateau in Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
Pinus kesiyais the principal species which form pure stands. In certain places the pines are associated with a few broad leaved species like Schima wallichii, Myrica esculenta, Erythrina arborescence, Rhus javanica, Rhododendron arboretum, Quercus spp., etc.
Shrubs include Rubus, Osbeckia, Spireaand Artemesia.
During rainy season there is a profuse herbaceous undergrowth of Chrysanthemum, Aster, Hypochaeris, Prunella, Plectranthus, Desmodium, Ranunculus, Anemone, Potentilla, Clinopodium, Polygonum, Elsholtzia, etc

Important Tree Species of Meghalaya

Rare, Endangered and Threatened Plant Species

A recent review of literature carried out Meghalaya Biodiversity Board reveals that a total of 436 Rare, Endangered and Threatened plant species have been recorded from Meghalaya representing 13.09% of the state’s flora.
Gastrochilus calceolaris, Gymnocladus assamicus, Illichium griffithii, Pterocybium tinctorium, Saurauia punduana, Taxus baccata and Vatica lanceafolia are few of the Critically Endangered plant species of Vegetation of Meghalaya .

Extinct Plant Species

Carex repanda, Cyclea debiliflora, Dendrobenthamia capitata, Hedychium hookeri, Homiorchis rhodorrhachis, Michelia lanuginose, Morinda villosa, Nymphaea pygmaea, Pleione lagenaria, Premna punduana, Schleichera trijuga, Sterculia khasiana and Talauma rabaniana are considered to have gone extinct in Vegetation of Meghalaya .

Endemic Plant Species:

They are species with restricted range of distribution.
A recent review of literature carried out by Meghalaya Biodiversity Board reveals a total of 281 Endemic plant species have been recorded from Meghalaya representing 8.44% of the state’s flora.
Of these, around 102 are listed under various Threat Categories and two in the Extinct Category. Ilex khasiana and Nepenthes khasiana are the Endemic and Critically Endangered species.
Some of the Endemic and Endangered species found in Meghalaya are Adinandra griffithii, Ceropegia arnottiana, Clematis apiculata, Elaeagnus conferta ssp. dendroidea, Eriocaulon barba-caprae, Goniothalamus simonsii, Ilex venulosa, Livistona jenkinsiana, Ophiorrhiza subcapitata and Trivalvaria kanjilalii.

Orchids:

Meghalaya is endowed with a rich and luxuriant orchid flora of nearly 352 species belonging to 98 genera representing 27.08% of the country’s orchid flora.
For several centuries, orchids have been known for their attractive flowers and their medicinal properties.
The majority of the orchids are epiphytes, however, lithophytes, terrestrials and saprophytes are also encountered.
They are found to inhabit ranges from Sub-tropical evergreen to moist mixed deciduous types of forests.
Aerides multiflorum, Coelogyne corymbosa, Cymbidium elegans, Dendrobium devonianum, Dendrobium longicornu, Paphiopedilum insigne, Rhynchostylis retusa, Phaius tankervilliae, Thunia marshalliana and Vanda coerulea are few of the exotic orchids of Meghalaya.

Bamboo and Canes:

The state harbours more than 37 species of Bamboos belonging to 14 genera.
Some of the important genera are Arundinaria, Bambusa, Cephalostachyum, Chimonobambusa, Dendrocalamus, Dinochloa, Gigantochloa, Melocanna, Neohouzeoua, Oxytenanthera, Phyllostachys, Pseudostachyum, Schizostachyum, Teinostachyum and Thamnocalamus. Arundinaria hirsuta, A. manii, Bambusa jaintiana, B. mastersii, B. pseudopallida, Cephalostachyum pallidum, Chimonobambusa callosa, Chimonobambusa griffithiana, Chimonobambusa khasiana, Chimonobambusa polystachya, Dendrocalamus sikkimensis, Phyllostachys manii, Schizostachyum dulloa, Schizostachyum griffithi, Schizostachyum helferi, S. manii, S. pallidum, Schizostachyum polymorphum and Thamnocalamus prainii are endemic.
Cane (Calamus sp) is a woody climber and several species are known to occur in Meghalaya.
It is usually found to inhabit warm and moist climate at lower elevations.
Calamus erectus and C. floribundus are the endemic canes occurring in the state.
Cane and Bamboo craft is a very important handicraft sector in Meghalaya.

Medicinal Plants:

Of the total 3,331 plant species recorded in the state around 834 (25.04%) are estimated to be employed in healthcare.
These species are distributed in 548 genera and 166 families.
The family with the highest number of medicinal plant species is Rubiaceae followed by Asteraceae and Fabaceae.
These species are restricted mainly to sacred groves, community forests and reserved forests and some to grasslands, roadsides, cults and fields, etc.
Due to high level of exploitation and faulty harvesting techniques, many of the endemic species such as Acanthus leucostachys, Calamus erectus, C. aurantium, C. latipes, Curcuma montana, Daphniphyllum himalense, Eleaegnus conferta ssp. dendroidea, Goniothalamus simonsii, Hedera nepalensis, Hymenodictyon excelsum, Ilex embeloides, Mahonia pycnophylla, Munronia pinnata, Nepenthes khasiana, Ochna squarrosa, Ophiorrhiza sub-capitata, Paramignya micrantha, Piper peepuloides, Schima khasiana and Sophora accuminata have been rendered rare.

Geographical location of Meghalaya

January 15, 2018October 4, 2024 by rawan239

Geographical location of Meghalaya

The state of Meghalaya (the abode of clouds) is geographically known as the “Meghalaya Plateau” or the “Shillong Plateau”. The area is made of the oldest rock-formations. Meghalaya consists of the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills along with their outliers formed by the Assam ranges. It is the detached north-eastern extension of the Peninsular India. Part of it lies buried under the alluvium deposited by the Ganga-Brahmaputra system of rivers. This gap is known as Malda gap (between Raj Mahal hills/Chhota Nagpur and the Shillong Plateau).

Meghalaya Plateau’s elevation varies between 150 meters to 1961 meters above sea level. The Plateau is highly dissected and has irregular terrain in the western and northern side. The southern side is marked by a continuous escarpment with steep slopes. The broken hills and ranges in the north are not of a well defined boundary.

The western part of the plateau or the Garo hills has an elevation of 600m above sea level. The most important relief feature of this part of the plateau is the Tura range with its highest point at Nokrek 1515 meters above sea level. The central and the eastern part of the plateau or the Khasi and the Jaintia hills district play prominent senile topography. This part of the plateau is characterised by the presence of many peneplained surfaces, flat-topped hills and numerous river valleys. The central upland zone is the most important relief feature of the area and covers more than one-third of the area, east of the Garo hills. The highest point of this part of this plateau and that of the entire state is the Shillong peak whose elevation is about 1965m above sea level. Geographical location of Meghalaya

In the Garo hills, the important rivers of the northern system from west to east are the Kalu, Ringgi, Chagua, Ajagar, Didram, Krishnai and Dudnai. Of these only the Krishnai and Kalu are navigable. The important rivers of the southern system are Daring, Sanda, Bandra, Bhogai, Dareng and Simsang. Simsang is the largest river in the Garo hills and navigable only for about 30 Km. other navigable rivers are Nitai and the Bhupai.

In the central and eastern section of the plateau the important northward flowing rivers are Umkhri, Digaru and Umiam and the south-flowing rivers are Kynchiang (Jadukata), Mawpa, Umiew or Barapani, Myngot and Myntdu.

Climate of Meghalaya

October 22, 2017September 17, 2024 by rawan239

Climate of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is at the unique confluence of the Indo-Malayan, an Indo-Chinese and Indian bio-geographical region coupled with its physiographic has generated a profusion of habitats, which harbours diverse biota with high level of endemism.
Meghalaya’s economy is closely tied to its natural-resource-base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and forestry.
That is the reason; the state faces a major threat from the projected changes in climate.
Crucial sectors in state like agriculture, water resources, health, sanitation, and rural development are likely to be affected by climate change.
State’s population primarily depends on climate sensitive sectors like agriculture and forestry for livelihood.
The highly dispersed and the vulnerable population segment of the state is poorly equipped to cope effectively with the adversities of climate change due to low capabilities, weak institutional mechanisms, and lack of access to adequate resources
Meghalaya emerged as a full-fledged state within the union of India on 21st Jan 1972.
It is tucked in the North East of India, covering an area of 22489 sq. km.
The State lies within 25 degree 1’ and 26 degree 5’ North latitudes and 85 degree 49’ and 92 degree 52’ East Longitudes.
The temperature range is approximately 2 degree centigrade to 36 degree centigrade depending upon the altitude ranging between 300 mts above mean sea level (MSL) to 2000 mts above MSL.
Meghalaya is amongst the highest rainfall areas in the world, predominantly mountainous, lying between the Brahmaputra valley in the North and the Surma valley (Bangladesh) in the South.

Climate of Meghalaya plateau

Climate of Meghalaya plateau is influenced by elevation and distribution of physical relief. On the basis of weather condition, the Meghalaya plateau has 4 distinct seasons:
They are

The rainy season from May to early October.
The cool season from early October to November.
The cold season from December to February.
The warm season or hot season from March to April.

In this period the entire plateau witness strong winds. This is due to northward migration of jet streams from the Gangetic plain to Tibetan plateau and development of low pressure in the Tibetan plateau at this time of the year.
The western part of the Garo hills is relatively lower in elevation as compared to Khasi and Jaintia hills. Garo hills experienced higher temperature conditions and humidity from February to October. April and May are the warmest months and January is the coldest month. The nature of elevation and slope has also influenced the distribution of rainfall. The rainfall is heaviest in the south-eastern Garo hills and decreases in the central regions and in the north.
The Khasian Jaintia hills experience a moderate climate because of higher elevation. Warm and humid conditions are prevalent in the foothills region in the south and sub-montane region in the north and central uplands. The plateau experiences a temperature of 24 degree centigrade throughout the year.
The southern parts of the plateau have the Cherrapunji -Mawsynram region. It receives the heaviest rainfall, an annual average of 12670 mm. This is due to its location at the head of Bangladesh plains. The south west monsoon strikes these margins as it rises abruptly from the plains. The vertical movement of this moist monsoon streams precipitate heavily in the escarpment region. This type of rainfall is known as orographic rainfall.
The Khasi and Jaintia hills receive an average of 7700 mm of rainfall and lies in the rain shadow area. Cherrapunji and Mawsynram lying about 55 Km south of Shillong receives an annual rainfall of about 14,000 mm which is the highest amount of rainfall in the world.

Climate of Meghalaya and Rainfall

The Climate of Meghalaya varies with the altitude.
The Climate of Meghalaya of Khasi and Jaintia Hills is uniquely pleasant and bracing.
It is neither too warm in summer nor too cold in winter, but over the plains of Garo Hills, the Climate of Meghalaya is warm and humid, except in winter.
True to its name, the Meghalaya sky seldom remains free of clouds.
The average annual rainfall is about 1,150 cm.
Flood affected areas are mostly on the low altitude areas, bordering Assam and the international border (India-Bangladesh).
Flash floods have become a regular feature in these areas, due to massive deforestation, unchecked jhum cultivation.
The flood water carries huge amount of hill sand, stone, logs and trees, which are deposited in agricultural fields due to inundation of banks in the foot hills, thus causing immense damage to crops.
The key to the health of the farm sector in the state lies in the health of the forest cover in the state.
Every peak, every square inch of the upper range of the hills need to be under mixed forest cover to protect the soil from leaching and erosion to help regulate and decrease the fury of streams and rivulets during the monsoon season.
Vegetation also help to retain soil moisture and ooze it out during the lean winter months to balance vegetative stress caused by mono cropping in the valley; to bestow various other advantage to help maintain the fragile eco-balance.
This will ensure continuous cultivation of crops in the farm sector.

Climate Change and Climate of Meghalaya

Climate sensitivity of the state comes from the fragile-ecosystem of the region where it is located extending to about 22,429 sq. kms.
The varied physiological features of the state and the altitudinal differences gives rise to varied types of climate ranging from near tropical to temperate and alpine which is likely to be disturbed considerably under the impact of weather variability.
The vulnerability of the state to water-induced disasters because of its location in the eastern Himalayan periphery, fragile geo-environmental setting and economic underdevelopment is likely to poses considerable threat to the resilience of poorer and vulnerable community.
The powerful hydrological and monsoon regime of the region, especially the Brahmaputra and the Barak (Meghna) river system which are figures out as resources to the state can also turn out to a source of vulnerability.
Meghalaya’s economy is closely tied to its natural-resource-base and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water, and forestry.
Climate change as projected might result in increasing mean annual temperature, variability of rainfall pattern and seasonal shift in weather pattern which is likely to result into destructive effect on the agriculture, the mainstay vocation in the state.
Moreover the highly dispersed and the vulnerable population segment of the state is poorly equipped to cope effectively with the adversities of climate change due to low capabilities, weak institutional mechanisms, inability to diversify to other livelihood activities and lack of access to adequate resources to enable the community to recover from climate shocks.
The climate change action plan is thus formulated to strategize adaptation and mitigation initiative towards emission stabilization and enhancing the livelihood resilience and adaptive capacity of the poor and vulnerable section of the society.
Climate Change is a multi-objective problem therefore the vulnerability and adaptive capacities are diverse and varies from state to state and based on several sectoral and cross sectoral parameters.
Sectoral parameters include key sectors of the state’s economy and cross sectoral factors include
1. Poverty
2. Inequality and social discrimination over property rights and
3. Access to resources
4. Social attrition/migration,
5. Unequal and unsustainable competition for scarce natural resources.

Rainfall variability

Majority of the districts of Meghalaya have experienced an increase in precipitation in the past 100 years .
However the two western districts, West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills showed a decrease in precipitation of 3.72 mm/day and 6.85 mm/day respectively.
This is a very high decrease and is of concern.
The West Khasi Hills, located in the central region of the state has the highest increase in precipitation, about 6.01 mm/day.
This is also a very high increase and may lead to flooding if the trend continues.
The precipitation trend shows high variability with West Khasi Hills showing an increase in precipitation of 6.01 mm/day and West Garo Hills showing a decrease of 6.85 mm/day

Temperature variability

The analysis of the meteorological measurements of temperature for Meghalaya shows a steady warming trend in both the minimum and maximum temperatures.
The spatial pattern of minimum and maximum temperature trend over the past 100 years shows an overall increase in the region.
The western part of the state exhibited an increase in minimum temperature (West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills) when compared to the eastern part of the state.
The central parts of the state, West Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills exhibited a high increase in the maximum temperature (about 1.2 degree Centigrade), when compared to Western and Eastern districts.
Overall, the trend of last 100 years shows that an increase in minimum temperature is slightly higher in absolute terms than the increase in maximum temperature.

Irrigation and hydro power of Meghalaya

January 15, 2018September 6, 2024 by rawan239

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. Irrigation and hydro power of Meghalaya

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.