Guwahati/Gangtok: At least 21 people have died since the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) at Lhonak Lake in the Chungthang area of North Sikkim Wednesday. Two more bodies were recovered Thursday afternoon from the Teesta Stage V Hydroelectric project site (510 MW) near Dikchu in East Sikkim.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operation by the Indian Army for the 22 missing soldiers continues. Out of the initial 23 missing, one was found alive Wednesday evening, a statement released by the army’s public relations officer Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Singh Rawat Thursday confirmed.
The breached dam was one of the first projects commissioned under the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in March 2008 for the cascade development of the Teesta River.
Troops of Trishakti Corps of the army are extending medical aid and telephone connectivity to civilians and tourists stranded in the areas of Chungthang, Lachung and Lachen in North Sikkim.
Continued efforts are on to dig out vehicles submerged under the slush at Burdang near Singtam. Search for missing persons is now concentrated in the areas downstream of Teesta, Lt Colonel Rawat’s statement read.
The family members of the missing persons have been contacted and informed about the situation. All other Indian Army personnel posted in Sikkim and North Bengal are safe, but unable to contact their family members due to disruptions of mobile communication, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Teesta stage-III dam of the 1,200 MW Teesta Urja Hydroelectric Project has suffered significant damage, with its powerhouse located in Singhik town washed away. The dam was situated at the confluence of Lachen and Lachung, two tributaries of the Teesta River.
Speaking to ThePrint, anti-dam activist Gyatso Lepcha said he had long predicted this tragedy due to the haphazard construction of dams in the name of development, adding that the series of mega-hydroelectric projects had raised concerns about displacement of locals, the ecological sustainability of the region and other issues.
Lepcha, general secretary of the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), a community-based organisation that led anti-dam movements in Dzongu, blamed it on manmade structures and human development in the river ecosystem.
“We predicted this long ago, and we had been advocating for the river ecosystem to let the river flow freely. We agree it’s a lake outburst that triggered flooding, but the dam in Chungthang, which was said to be the strongest dam in the country, couldn’t hold it, and collapsed within a few minutes. That intensified the flooding,” said Lepcha.
“We are only blaming nature and natural causes, but we cannot divert from manmade issues,” he added.
On the other hand, the state Rural Development Department Minister, Sonam Lama, who visited Singtam town in Gangtok district Wednesday, said many lives have been saved in Sikkim and West Bengal “only because of the dam”. He, however, presumed there are more bodies under the debris.
“People of Singtam, Rangpo in Sikkim, and parts bordering West Bengal have been saved because of the dam. No one anticipated such a disaster. The trees that were washed away from higher ground in North Sikkim have all accumulated here,” said Lama.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting was convened Thursday by Sikkim Chief Minister, Prem Singh Tamang at Mintokgang, his official residence, to assess the current situation and evaluate the extent of damages.
“I have issued instructions to all pertinent officials, departments, district magistrates (DMs), and superintendents of police (SPs) to maintain a state of heightened vigilance and attend to the requirements of the affected public with utmost diligence. In order to ensure accurate and timely information dissemination, the chief secretary (CS) will provide daily updates to the press,” the CM told media persons.
The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has meanwhile advised people not to go to river line areas and to take necessary precautions as water levels are said to be increasing in Chungthang area due to incessant rainfall in higher regions of North Sikkim.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also read: Why Sikkim saw protests over an SC judgment & how 2 political parties moved to capitalise on it