Centre to assess damage to hydropower plants in Sikkim after flood water recedes: Power Ministry

The central government will make a detailed assessment of damage to hydropower projects in Sikkim after the flood water recedes, the Ministry of Power said on Thursday.

The state-owned hydro power giant NHPC is taking all possible measures to get the hydropower projects operational at the earliest, the ministry said, adding that the Ministry of Power is continuously monitoring the situation arising out of flash floods in Teesta Basin in Sikkim.

According to the statement, Union Power Secretary Pankaj Agrawal held an emergency meeting on Wednesday with NHPC, wherein senior officers of the ministry and Central Electricity Authority were also present.

Due to flash floods in the Teesta Basin on the intervening night of 3rd and 4th October 2023, all the bridges downstream to Teesta-V Hydropower Station up to Tarkhola/ Pamphok have been submerged/ washed out thus severely affecting commutation and communication in these areas.

The flood water overtopped the Dam of Teesta V Power Station (510 MW). All connecting roads to the project sites as well as parts of the residential colony have been severely damaged, it stated.

Presently, the power station is under shutdown and not generating electricity. NHPC has timely evacuated manpower from all its projects and ensured that they are shifted to safer places.

However, it stated that one casualty was reported from the Teesta V power station.

Ongoing works of under construction hydro project Teesta VI (500 MW) of NHPC have been disrupted, it said.

The flood water had entered the powerhouse and transformer cavern. Bridges connecting the right and left banks at the barrage as well as the Power House have been washed out.

Two crane operators working at the project site are reported missing. All efforts are being made to trace them, the statement said.

No major damages have been observed in TLDP-III (160 MW) (Teesta Low Dam - III Hydropower Plant) and TLDP-IV (132 MW) power stations located in the downstream West Bengal state, it added.

Both the power stations are safe but kept in shut down condition due to heavy siltation brought along with the flood water, it noted.

NHPC is constantly trying to start the electricity generation in both the projects in coming days. Also, no damage is reported in Rangit Valley, where NHPC's Rangit IV power project (120 MW) is under construction and Rangit Power Station (60 MW) is under operation, it stated.

The quantum of damage at all the project sites will be assessed in detail after the water level recedes, the ministry said.

NHPC is making all possible efforts with the help of the state government, disaster management authorities and district administration to maintain the supply of essential commodities like food, medicine, electricity etc. in the affected regions.