New Delhi: Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal held an emergency meeting with state-run NHPC Limited on October 4 to take stock of the impact of the Sikkim flash flood on the public sector company’s hydro power projects in the state. An official statement released by the Power Ministry on Thursday said, “The Power Ministry is continuously monitoring the situation arising out of flash floods in Teesta Basin in Sikkim. Shri Pankaj Agrawal, Secretary (Power) held an emergency meeting yesterday with NHPC wherein senior officers of the Ministry of Power and Central Electricity Authority were also present.”
Due to flash floods in the Teesta Basin in the intervening night of October 3 and 4, all the bridges downstream to Teesta-V Hydropower Station upto Tarkhola/ Pamphok have been submerged/ washed out, thus severely affecting commutation and communication in these areas. The flood water over-topped 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. Presently, the power station is under shutdown and not generating electricity. NHPC had timely evacuated the manpower on all its projects and ensured that they are shifted to safer places. However, one casualty is reported from Teesta V power station.
The ongoing works at under-construction hydro project Teesta VI (500 MW) of NHPC have been disrupted, the ministry said after the meeting. The flood water had entered into power house and transformer cavern. Bridges connecting right and left banks of 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, said the ministry.
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. Both the power stations are safe but kept in shut down condition due to the heavy siltation brought along with the flood water. NHPC is constantly trying to start the electricity generation in both the projects in the 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.\
“The quantum of damage at all the projects sites will be assessed in detail after the water level recedes. 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,” said the Power Ministry.
