Phidang suffers the destructive tug of Teesta Stage-V reservoir WANGCHUK BHUTIA

MANGAN, 02 July: Woes born from the Teesta Stage-V hydel project, despite its having been commissioned some years ago, continue to befall people in the surrounding areas. The dangers posed by the sudden, at times unannounced, release of dam-waters is a running worry, and the crumble at Jang village above the dam has been in the news often. Joining the line of residents with complaints against NHPC’s management of the project components and responsibility towards affected people are the residents of Phidang in Lower. The village, above the Stage-V reservoir are aggrieved over NHPC’s uineffective Reservoir Rim Treatment which has resulted in the reservoir banks tugging at Phidang and imperilling dwellings there.
NHPC, the residents insist, should  have  adopted proper and better planned treatment  works along  the  reservoir in keeping with the  geography and topography  of  the  area and its slopes. In fact, several specific representations seeking the same were made to the district authorities to take up with NHPC and even as people continued to seek strong reinforcements at the reservoir  below  their village, it was not provided.
The residents accept that NHPC has undertaken the rim treatment works on the entire stretch below Phidang,  right  from  Phee  Kyoung  to  Namphyoung  Kyoung,  up  to  the  “EL  583”. All these, the people point out, were at acquired  areas, but even this was in proper manner,  and  at  places  along  the  old  Phidang  Bridge, no  treatment  has  been done at all, the people highlight.
“The  rim treatment   measure   adopted  should  have  been one  of fully  strong  grouting,  rod  concreted  measure at least  up  till  the  Reservoir  Submergence  level,  that  is  EL 579 Level, so as  to  protect  Toe  Erosions, Scouring, Tremors and  Vibrations  from  occurring.                              The  very   base  foundations  should   have  been  well  excavated, dugout, well below  the Teesta  riverbed   level,   and  a  sustainable  concrete,  rod  grouting  R/R  treatment,  should  have  been undertaken up till at least  the  reservoir  water  submergence  level. But, this sustainable measure has not been adopted,” details Gyan Ongrub Lepcha, one of the affected persons from Phidang.
He, like his neighbours, is convinced that since this was not done, the entire village and all areas surrounding the reservoir are getting  so severely affected  by  landslides,  crates, pothole  formations,  and  cracks occurring  in the houses and on their land holdings.
Mr. Lepcha further stated that while NHPC has  paid  compensation  to  houses   lying  within  the  purview  of the  reservoir  at  “EL 581-EL 585” [NHPC  acquired  areas], the RCC  building  of Karma Donka Lepcha,  just  above  the  reservoir  [at  an  EL  588m] has been declared  safe  to  live  in after NHPC undertook [vide  a letter   signed in  the  presence  of  the DC  North] that it would  undertake suitable and sustainable R/R  Treatment for  the  protection  of  this  building.
This was not done and now Ms. Lepcha is finding that her building is developing cracks as are the open spaces around her house. Just below the foundations of the building the land too is sinking.
Elsewhere, a crater formed on the Bridge Deck of the Old Phidang Bridge last month and have been growing bigger by the day.
The issues were brought to the notice of the NHPC GM through a letter on 20 June by  the  Gram  Panchayats  of  Lum,  Gor, Sangtok, but no follow up action  has been seen thus far.