Sikkim news: Watch | Massive landslide damages hydroelectric project, houses evacuated

A massive landslide hit east Sikkim on August 20, causing damage to sections of a 510 MW hydroelectric project on the Teesta River, officials told news agency PTI. The landslide also resulted in damage to 17-18 houses.

The official reported that the landslide occurred at Dipu Dara, near Singtam in the Gangtok district, around 7:30 a.m. It has severely impacted the powerhouse of the NHPC's Teesta Stage V hydroelectric project, according to the officials.

Officials also reported that the landslide caused significant damage to the project's GIS building. “A technical team from Delhi will visit the site to assess the situation and recommend measures for restoration”, they added as quoted by PTI.

Around 17-18 houses were damaged by the landslide, and six of them had to be evacuated. The displaced families were moved to the NHPC Guest House in Balutar, which was designated as a relief camp.

The landslide also disrupted access to the Singtam-Dikchu Road.

Gangtok's District Collector, Tushar Nikhare, called on the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to start the road restoration work without delay while the Department of Mines and Geology was instructed to conduct a detailed investigation into the landslide.

The hill adjacent to the power station has been under threat for many weeks now, with frequent minor slides. As per ANI report, no casualties were reported due to slides, the power station was evacuated days ago. The Stage 5 dam became defunct after the October 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) across the Teesta River Basin. The dam which was destroyed in the ensuing flash flood overflow was being reconstructed.

Last year in October, India’s apex power planning body, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), came up with guidelines for slope stability—inclines that can withstand movement—in hydropower projects after heavy rains and glacial lake floods had damaged a dam in Sikkim.

The guidelines had stated that in the case of projects that are “vulnerable”, the project authority or developer would be responsible for examining the upper reaches, including the reservoir, identify fault sites and take remedial measures for stabilization. Vulnerable projects are defined as those with 400MW and above capacity.