Dipudanra: Major landslide damages Teesta Stage (V) project in Sikkim

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 21 Aug 2024, Darjeeling: A major landslide struck Dipudanra, Balutar in Singtam, Sikkim on Tuesday at around 7:30 am, leaving a path of destruction and disruption in its way. 

The landslide, which has caused major cracks along the Singtam-Dikchu road, has rendered the route impassable. Authorities have implemented a temporary diversion to North Sikkim through Dochum to manage traffic flow. 

The GIS building of the Teesta Stage V project has suffered extensive damage. A technical team from Delhi is scheduled to visit to assess the damages. 

“At around 7 am, the landslide started with a loud sound. 

More than 16 houses have been damaged, developing cracks. Some families have been shifted to NHPC guest house. We feel that the NHPC project tunnels and pipelines have made this area very unstable. Before the NHPC project, this land was stable.

There were no sinking areas here,” stated a resident of Dipudanra whose house has been damaged. 

The landslide has also inflicted substantial damage on the GIS building of the Teesta Stage V project. The Plant Head of NHPC, Teesta Stage V has reported extensive damage at the project site. 

A technical team from Delhi is scheduled to visit to assess the extent of the damage and recommend restoration measures, the plant head has informed. The 510 MW Teesta Stage V had become defunct following the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood on October 4, 2023. A large chunk of the hill adjacent to the power station slid down on Tuesday morning. 

Tushar Nikhare, District Collector of Gangtok, led an on-site inspection along with key officials, including the BDO Khamdong, senior geologist from the Mines and Geology department, training officer/DM, OC GREF, Zilla Panchayat members, ward Panchayat representatives and local residents affected by the disaster. The landslide has severely damaged six homes in the area, belonging to Kalu Chettri, Kul Bdr Subba, Anand Tamang, Dhanraj Rai, Neeru Hangma Subba and Taran Bdr Chettri. 

The residents of these houses have been evacuated and relocated to the NHPC Guest House in Balutar, which has been designated as a relief camp. BDO Khamdong has been appointed to oversee the operations at the relief camp. 

The District Collector has instructed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to commence immediate restoration work on the affected road. BRO has committed to restoring road access as quickly as possible. 

The department of Mines and Geology has been directed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the landslide, with a focus on recommending both short-term and long-term restoration strategies. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

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