Archive · 12 Dec 2025
Land hurdles stall power projects in Meghalaya
Meghalaya, a state in India, needs more power projects to have enough electricity.
But there's a big problem: the land needed for these projects.
The government can't provide the land because it doesn't own it—it belongs to the local people.
The locals don't want to give up their land, so important projects like the Mawphu Hydroelectric Project and others are stuck.
This is happening because Meghalaya is a special state where the land is owned by the people, not the government.
So, even though the power company, NEEPCO, wants to build these projects to help the state and the country, they can't move forward because of this land issue.
Land acquisition is a major hurdle for developing power projects in Meghalaya.
The Government of Meghalaya does not own the land, as it belongs to the people under the Sixth Schedule.
Locals are not willing to part with their land, stalling projects like the Mawphu or Wah Umiam III Hydroelectric Project (85 MW).
NEEPCO is eager to execute projects for the benefit of the state and country but cannot due to land issues.
Other stalled projects include a proposed pumped storage project and the 800-MW Wah Umiam project.
- Who
- North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) and the Government of Meghalaya
- What
- Land acquisition issues are stalling major power projects in Meghalaya
- When
- The issue has been ongoing, with specific projects like the Mawphu or Wah Umiam III Hydroelectric Project stalled
- Where
- Meghalaya, India
- Why
- Locals are not willing to part with their land, and the Government of Meghalaya does not own the land, as it belongs to the people under the Sixth Schedule
- State
- Meghalaya
- Organization
- North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO)
- Executive Director
- Jayanta Sarma
- Stalled Project
- Mawphu or Wah Umiam III Hydroelectric Project (85 MW)
- Proposed Projects
- Pumped storage project, 800-MW Wah Umiam project