Bear on the hill

Coffer Dam at Teesta - III 200 MW HEP

Rangeet River after the Rangeet 60 MW HEP

DAWA LEPCHA

On the 18th of September, 2011, when the earthquake struck, I am quite sure that prayers flowed from every mouth and mind, even from those who usually do not think of the Almighty. We do not have to mention all that followed after the quake struck, as they have been all over the media and the press for a long time and still continues occasionally like the occasional tremors that have been reminding us of future catastrophe.
Though mentions of earthquake risk to the hydro power projects were made, we ourselves were in bit of a doubt as to how it can be affected or vice versa. We also did not know that we would be witnessing one such example so soon. For some reason, only the project in North Sikkim suffered the most damages, casualty and death, while the others escaped comparatively unharmed. Of course the epicenter of the earthquake was in North Sikkim, that too as pointed out by experts, somewhere very near where the power projects are located.
Most of the HEPs planned in Sikkim are located in the North District. The biggest being the 1200 MW Teesta III hydroelectric project. This project has its dam site and Adit I at Chungthang, Adit II at Theng, Adit III at Ship-Gyer, Adit IV at Ramom and Adit V, the surge shaft and the underground power house at Saffo-Salim-Pakyel in Dzongu. (Adits are tunnel outlets along the main head race tunnel, used for taking out the muck). All these project components suffered the maximum damages and deaths, with Chungthang leading.
Yes, maybe these hydro power projects may not have been the cause of the earthquake, but it definitely added to the catastrophe. Otherwise, why is the maximum number of destructions and deaths located in these areas?      
The other project is the Panang 300 MW HEP. Though they are yet to start actual work, the areas in the vicinity of the dam site, where the company had been carrying out test drillings and had been using dynamites have suffered the most. The landslides beyond the village of Lingzya, on the way to Bay (one of the villages that suffered the most casualty in Dzongu), Sakyong, Puntong and Tholung, all of which are still facing great difficulty in terms of accessibility and transport,  is another example to be taken seriously. I am sure that all those who have been to these places post September 18 will agree with me. What further misery will be added to these places during the monsoon is still to be seen. If the minor activities at the proposed dam site area resulted in such damage and destruction, I wonder what might have happened had the work been going on in full swing like in Teesta III? The Mines and Geology and the Geological Survey of India have pointed out the weak and fragile geology of the entire project area. (The Central Electric Authority on submission of report by the GSI have ordered the company namely, Himagiri Hydro Energy Pvt. Ltd, to submit detail geological and GLOF report)
Now the Public Hearing for the Teesta IV, 520 MW project has been notified again. It is scheduled for the 29th of March, 2012. This part of the river is also the last free flowing portion of the river Teesta proper. Once it is put in tunnel, the burying of Teesta is complete. I wonder if people living in the immediate vicinity of the project think about this. I also wonder whether Teesta will even flow into the plains once all these hydro power projects are completed. Most important, what might be the impacts of these reservoirs that are coming up one after another in the fragile hills?
Recently, for and against groups have cropped up pertaining to the scrapped Ting Ting and Lethang projects and the still contentious Tashiding Project located in West Sikkim. I hope some sense prevails and that we don’t get to see the horrors of the North Sikkim projects being repeated in future because it is no use waving the ‘bamphok’ after the bear has crossed the hill.