A landslide damaged six houses and a building of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) at the site of its Teesta-V hydropower station in Sikkim’s Gangtok district on Tuesday (August 20, 2024).
The power station, damaged by the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in October 2023, has been under construction.
Officials said the incident occurred at about 7.30 a.m. at Balutar, the site of the 510 MW Teesta Stage V project near Singtam town.
Also Read : Sikkim landslides: One killed, five missing, several houses inundated
“The landslide damaged a structure they (the NHPC) call the GIS building, and six houses, whose occupants were evacuated to safety. The Singtam-Dikchu Road was cut off but an alternative passage has been cleared for communication,” Gangtok District Collector Tushar G. Nikhare told The Hindu.
The evacuees were shifted to the NHPC’s guest house, designated as a relief camp.
“We have asked the Border Roads Organisation to start restoration work on the damaged road, and the Department of Mines and Geology to study the landslide, a fresh one, and suggest short-term and long-term solutions,” Mr. Nikhare said
A spokesperson of the NHPC said a technical team from Delhi was expected to reach the landslide spot, assess the damage, and recommend restoration measures.
Also Read : Sikkim flood was one of Asia’s worst climate disasters in 2023
At least 40 people were killed and more than 75 went missing in the GLOF-induced flash flood in 2023. A few soldiers were among the dead and missing. Apart from affecting almost 90,000 people living along the banks of the Teesta River, the flood damaged the 1,200 MW Teesta-III dam downstream.
