Major Landslide Destroys Teesta Dam Power Station in Sikkim

New Delhi: A severe landslide in Sikkim has resulted in the destruction of the Teesta-V hydropower station, operated by the state-owned NHPC Limited. The power station, which was already under restoration following significant damage from a glacial outburst last October, has suffered further destruction due to the landslide.

According to NHPC’s statement, several key structures at the plant have been impacted. The landslide occurred over the Tail Race Tunnel (TRT) outlet structure and behind the GIS Building, leading to damage to the TRT Gate hoist structure and part of the GIS Building. The power station is currently non-operational and remains under restoration from the flash floods that followed the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) of October 2023.

The GLOF event, a rare but anticipated disaster, originated from South Lhonak in Ladakh and led to the collapse of the Teesta III hydroelectric dam at Chungthang in North Sikkim. This flood caused extensive damage downstream, including to the Teesta-V plant, exacerbating the challenges faced by the NHPC.

NHPC’s statement highlighted that the Teesta Basin Region has been experiencing periodic natural subsidence and landslides during the ongoing monsoon season, contributing to the recent incident. An expert team from NHPC’s corporate office is currently on-site to assess the damage, evaluate losses, and plan necessary remedial measures to address the situation and restore operations at the affected power station.

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