The Congress opposed the Centre’s reported nod to building a dam for the Teesta III hydel project. File
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
The Congress on Wednesday (February 5, 2025) said it disapproved of a recent decision by an expert committee of the Environment Ministry to allow the reconstruction of the Teesta-3 hydropower project in Sikkim that was destroyed in October 2023.
“The Indian National Congress also opposes this thoughtless clearance. The threat of disaster persists at the dam site. There are also cascading and multiplying effects on habitations downstream,” Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X on Wednesday. He appended a letter from August 2024, in which the Congress had criticised the government for not allocating enough money for irrigation and flood control in the July 2024 Budget.
Earlier this week, D.R. Thapa, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikkim unit, had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav demanding withdrawal of the clearance given to the project.
“This approval was granted on January 10, 2025, despite unresolved concerns related to environmental safety, structural integrity and public consultation,” the letter read.
The BJP leader demanded that the clearance accorded by the Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) be put on hold until all pending scientific studies and a revised Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) assessment were completed and independently verified.
He also demanded a fresh environmental impact assessment incorporating updated climate data, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risks, and evolving hydrological conditions in the region. He also called for a fresh public hearing on the issue.
The Sikkim BJP, the letter read, believed that while development and infrastructure are essential, they must be pursued with scientific integrity, environmental responsibility, and public participation. The Teesta River is the lifeline of Sikkim, and any decision regarding its future must prioritise the safety, sustainability, and ecological well-being of the region.
“We appreciate the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s commitment to environmental conservation and disaster resilience and are confident that under his leadership, the concerns of Sikkim will be taken seriously. We urge the Government of India to act immediately to prevent any further environmental and human disasters in the state,” the letter underlined.
The devastating glacier lake outburst flood in Sikkim washed away the Chungthang dam, which powered the Teesta 3, the State’s biggest hydropower project, and killed at least 100 people in the process.
In its report, approving the rebuilding, the EAC said that the new dam would be entirely concrete – reportedly to increase its strength – and its spillway will be capable of managing a peak flow of 19,946 cubic metres a second (cumecs), thrice the capacity of the former dam, which was 7,000 cumecs. The older dam had a part rock and part concrete structure.
As part of their appraisal to relook the projects, the EAC assessed studies by the government where the risk from 119 glacial lakes were identified in the catchment. Out of these, 50 glacial lakes were shortlisted with area of 10 ha or more for further evaluation.
After detailed study, 13 potentially dangerous glacial lakes were identified based on the water spread area (40 ha or more), volume, and distance. During criticality analysis, combination of lakes was studied to find out the worst-case scenario. Three different combinations were studied and the worst combination was considered for GLOF. The project developers, Sikkim Urja Ltd. (SUL), were also been asked to implement an early warning system in the upper catchment, such that in case of a flood, the gates of the dam could be opened well in time.
Published – February 05, 2025 02:26 pm IST