Assam is reeling under severe power crisis as the shortfall in availability of power during the peak load hours is around 230 MW and it is around 170 MW during the off-peak load hours, forcing the Assam State Electricity Board to take recourse to frequent power cuts. However, the situation, ASEB sources said, is expected to improve significantly with the 100 MW Karbi Langpi hydel project back on the grid by the first week of May. The project is under shut down for annual maintenance since April 17.

The farmers who depended on paddy cultivation in more than 75 acres of paddy fields irrigated by Wadakahaara canal lost their livelihood after the breakdown of the anicut.

Energy is the lifeline of economic development, but unfortunately, Pakistan has historically suffered from energy shortages and demand suppression because of limited supplies and lack of adequate infrastructure development for provision of energy to the industrial sector. Furthermore, the capacity of Pakistan's existing reservoirs (Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma) has declined by 27 percent and the cumulative decline will increase to 35 percent by 2012 and to 57 percent by 2025.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is vigorously carrying out feasibility studies and engineering designs of various hydropower projects with accumulative generation capacity of more than 25,000 MW and most of these studies are at the advance stage of their completion.

The Panch Jampani Upabhokta Bandh Samiti ( PJUB) has urged the authorities concerned for early completion of Dhansiri Irrigation Project and avail waters to the farmers. In a meeting held under the chairmanship of Sukumar Wary, discussed the mater and urged the irrigation department to take necessary steps. A ten member delegation of Bandh Samiti has approached the irrigation minister, irrigation chief engineer and the local legislator of Udalguri and also the PHE minister of Asom. The committee also urged to look after the cause of cultivators and complete the project.

An association of tail-end growers on Tuesday blamed rampant corruption and an

India's largest engineering and construction conglomerate L&T and state-owned National Hydro Power Corporation are working on forming a joint venture, even as the public sector firm received

KUPWARA: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has asked the National Conference (NC) Patron Dr Farooq Abdullah to make clear to the people why he illogically bartered the state's water resources with the Center for a worthless 12 percent royalty in 2000.

After Pakistan's move to put up a 969 MW hydro power project across the Jhelum, the Central government has decided to revive the almost defunct 18-year-old 330 MW Kishen Ganga hydro power project on the same river in the Kashmir valley.

Prospect of Irri-Boro on over 1,000 acres of land in Kamalapur union under Patuakhali Sadar upazila has become bleak as the lands cannot be irrigated as the canal running through the fields has been leased to some influential people. The lessees have built seven dams in the canal, obstructing its flow, sources said. "We went to the local union parishad chairman several times to resolve the problem but to no effect,' farmer Shahjahan Sikder told this correspondent.