Sikkim flash floods - Chungthang dam
14 Oct 2023 3 mins Download PDF
Why in News
- There is a popular folk tale in Sikkim about two rivers, the male Rangeet and female Rungnyu (Teesta), and how the Rangeet turned back angrily after losing a race.
- In 2021, a protest song gave a modern twist to this tale, referring to the Teesta's rage at hydropower projects.
- On October 4, 2022, the South Lhonak glacial lake in northwest Sikkim breached its embankments and burst.
- This caused flash floods in the Teesta river basin downstream.
- The floods swept away 14 bridges and damaged a major hydropower dam.
- According to government data, the floods damaged 1,825 houses.
- At least 94 people lost their lives and 78 are still missing.
- Over 2,500 displaced people have been moved to 21 relief camps.
- The song predicting the Teesta's rage at hydropower projects seems prophetic now after the glacial lake burst flooding.
- The Sikkim flash floods 2023 has led to wash away of Chungthang dam by flooding of the Teesta River.
- The dam and hydroelectric power station with 1200 MW capacity is located in Chungthang in Sikkim.
- It is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric project commenced operation in 2017, used for power generation.
- Teesta river:
- The trans-Himalayan river is a tributary of Brahmaputra River.
- It that traces through the states of Sikkim and West Bengal in India and Rangpur in Bangladesh.
- Rangeet River is its main tributary
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