Morcha vow on pipe burst

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 29 Jun 2019, Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's Binay Tamang faction on Friday said it would stall the repairs of a power project near Lodhama after a pipe had burst on Wednesday, the fourth rupture in the waterline in the past 10 years.

The 3mw hydel project is run by Calcutta-based Nippon Power.

Even though there was no loss of life, a huge volume of swift moving water inundated roads and entered nearby areas at Fincheytar, about 60km from Darjeeling, on Wednesday.

Norden Sherpa, a leader of the Tamang camp in the Rimbick-Lodhama area, said: "This is the fourth time that pipes have burst, after 2009, 2013 and 2016. We fear the construction has not been proper- ly done and this could endanger the lives of manyThe project was set up over 10 acres in 2007.

"Even though there was no loss of life, two students of Basbotey school were saved by a whisker. The pipes run along the road and hundreds of people use it daily," said Sherpa.

There are four villages in the area and the Morcha said it would not allow the repairs unless a proper investigation was conducted under the aegis of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and the Darjeeling district magistrate.

"We will not allow the power plant to start the re- pairs," said Sherpa. The hill party also alleged that the reservoir was leaking and demanded that three houses located in its vicinity be shifted.

"We want a meeting with company officials to be held on the project site. Many of our demands have not been fulfilled yet. We will allow the repairs only after the demands are met," said Sherpa.

The promises as claimed by the locals include a road, bridge and an ambulance.

A delegation of GNLF leaders led by Sandip Limbu visited Fincheytar.

S.K. Sengupta, project manager, said: "A team of experts will arrive next week to investigate the cause of the incident." A detailed conversation was not possible with Sengupta because of connectivity issues..