Sikkim Government Forms High-Level Committee to Probe Teesta Stage-VI Tunnel Tragedy

KalimNews, July 23, 2026, Kalimpong: The Government of Sikkim has constituted a High-Level Committee (HLC) to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the explosion and tunnel collapse at the under-construction Adit-III tunnel of the Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project at Samardung, Jholungey, in Namchi district.

The Home Department issued the notification on July 22, 2026, stating that the committee has been formed in the interest of public safety to investigate the causes and circumstances that led to the tragic incident on July 20, 2026, and to recommend measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

The four-member committee will be chaired by Shri Tashi Wangyal, IPS, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Sikkim Police. Other members include Shri Phigu Tshering Bhutia, Principal Director, Mines and Geology Department, Shri Keshar Luitel, Additional Director, Mines and Geology Department, and Shri Tenzing Loden Lepcha, IPS, Deputy Inspector General of Police, CID, Sikkim Police, who will serve as the Member Secretary.

The committee has been entrusted with examining the sequence of events and identifying the exact cause of the explosion-like incident and the subsequent accumulation of gas inside the tunnel. It will determine whether the disaster resulted from blasting activities, the release of methane or other noxious gases, equipment failure, or any other The inquiry will also assess whether all prescribed safety norms, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and statutory provisions under the Mines Act, 1952, the Tunnel Safety Guidelines, and the Explosives Rules, 2008 were fully complied with at the time of the incident. Particular attention will be given to the functioning of ventilation systems, gas detection mechanisms, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by workers.

In addition, the committee will evaluate the adequacy and operational status of gas detection sensors, ventilation fans, and emergency exhaust systems installed inside the tunnel. It will also investigate the nature and source of the gas that leaked before the incident.

The notification further authorises the High-Level Committee to examine any other matter connected with the incident that it considers relevant during the course of its inquiry.

The committee has been directed to submit its findings and recommendations to the competent authority within 15 days from the date of issuance of the notification.

The notification was issued by the Home Department, Government of Sikkim, by order and in the name of the Governor, reaffirming the State Government's commitment to ensuring accountability, strengthening safety standards, and preventing such tragedies in future infrastructure projects.

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