Sikkim: Parties, citizen groups oppose approval to rebuild dam destroyed in glacial deluge

In an unusually discordant move, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikkim cadre wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on February 2 urging the Centre to withhold its approval to rebuild the Teesta III Hydro Electric Project dam, which was destroyed in a deluge over a year ago and the effects of which continue to be felt in the state.

“The people of Sikkim deeply value your commitment to environmental conservation and disaster resilience. The Teesta river is the lifeline of Sikkim, and any decision regarding hydropower infrastructure must be based on the scientific data, risk assessments, and inclusive public participation,” reads the letter, signed by state party president DR Thapa.

The letter’s urgency was brought on by the fact that only a few weeks prior, a centrally-appointed Expert Appraisal Committee approved plans to rebuild the dam just 14 months after it was swept away. The final approval is granted by the Union environment ministry, generally on the recommendation of the Expert Appraisal Committee.

In October 2023, a glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF, originating from the South Lhonak glacial lake destroyed the 1200-megawatt Teesta III Hydro Electric Project in minutes, killing 55 people along the way and displacing 7,025 others. The destruction was described as one of the worst…

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