A massive landslide on Tuesday morning destroyed the power station of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s (NHPC) Teesta Stage 5 dam in Sikkim, adding to the woes of a region already grappling with natural disasters.
The Sikkim landslide occurred after weeks of minor slides in the area, with a large portion of the hill adjacent to the 510 MW power station collapsing and burying the facility under tons of debris.
Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported as the power station had been evacuated days earlier due to the increasing frequency of landslides. Videos recorded by workers in the vicinity show a portion of the cliff shifting before a massive chunk of the hill crashes down onto the power station, with onlookers reacting in shock and panic.
Watch the video below:
Massive landslide in Singtam, #Sikkim
Power station of NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta Stage 5 dam destroyed.#rain pic.twitter.com/wXtRvY2koD
— s (@Snehamtweets) August 20, 2024
The Teesta Stage 5 dam has been non-operational since October 2023, following a catastrophic event when the Lhonak glacial lake burst after a cloudburst. The cloudburst triggered a flash flood that severely damaged the Teesta Dam at Chungthang, the largest hydropower project in Sikkim. The flash flood swept away significant portions of the dam, leading to its current defunct status.
Videos from the time of the October disaster showed large sections of the dam’s wall missing, with the Teesta River’s floodwaters flowing uncontrollably through the breach in North Sikkim’s Mangan district. The recent landslide adds to the challenges faced by the region in rebuilding and recovering from the ongoing environmental impacts.
As authorities assess the damage and work towards mitigating further risks, the incident underscores the vulnerabilities of infrastructure in regions prone to extreme weather and geological instability.
