Sikkim Earthquake impact studies at the dam sites of NHPC



Earthquake not caused by Hydro Power Projects: Sikkim CM



India’s power ministry has asked seismic experts from the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee (IIT-R) to conduct earthquake impact studies at the dam sites of state-owned NHPC Ltd and North Eastern Electric Power Corp. Ltd (Neepco).



The Sikkim earthquake has raised questions on the future of India’s hydropower development. The 18 September 6.8 magnitude earthquake on the Sikkim-Nepal border has wreaked havoc in the Himalayan country and the Indian state, and scientists say the likelihood of a much greater earthquake in north India remains. At least 118 people have been killed in Sikkim, West Bengal and Bihar in the quake.

Teesta Urja Ltd, which is building the 1,200MW Teesta-III project in Sikkim, suffered losses of personnel, with 17 people killed, one missing and 10 hurt.

The decision to take IIT-R’s help was taken at a review meeting last Thursday that was chaired by minister of state (power ministry) K.C. Venugopal.

“It was decided to avail the services of seismic experts from IIT-R to analyse earthquake data and conduct the earthquake impact study at the dam sites of NHPC in the region, and more specifically those in Sikkim,” the ministry said in a statement. “Neepco was also asked to compile the seismic data collected from its power stations in north-eastern states for further analysis at IIT-R.”

The total hydropower generation potential of India’s north-eastern states and Bhutan is about 58,000MW. Of this, Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for 50,328MW. Sikkim, as well as most of north India, falls in seismic zones 4 and 5, regions classified as highly vulnerable to high-intensity quakes.

Any delays in construction of hydropower projects in the region, particularly those on rivers originating in China, would affect India’s strategy of establishing its prior-use claim, according to international law.

India is concerned that hydropower projects planned in Arunachal Pradesh may be affected by China’s plan to divert water from rivers that flow into the Brahmaputra to the arid zones of Xinjiang and Gansu.

“India’s hydro potential is locked in the North-East,” said former power secretary Anil Razdan. “You can’t plan for this kind of thing. It is a grey area. Earthquake prediction is very difficult.”

Hydropower projects come with their own set of problems. Their construction requires specialized technology and design. They also have to deal with geological surprises such as earthquakes, floods and landslides. With the share of hydropower generated in the country falling from 40% to 25% in the past 20 years, the government is worried as this makes up only 38,206MW of the 181,558MW power generating capacity.

“We and Neepco are the major hydropower developers active in the North-East. We’ll study data from our monitoring centres to know the impact of the quake for future references,” said D.P. Bhargava, director, technical, NHPC. “We’ll first study it internally and then send it to IIT-R.”

NHPC has a power generation capacity of 5,295MW that includes two operating projects in Sikkim. It is constructing a 2,000MW project in Arunachal Pradesh and also has plans to set up projects having a total capacity of 6,696MW in north-eastern states such as Sikkim, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

Bhargava defended the design of his projects. “There has been no damage to our projects,” he said. “We design our projects for earthquakes and such an incident should not stop us for planning for projects in the region.”

Several hydro projects have been delayed and India has met less than half the target of 14,393MW set for hydropower generation in the 10th Five-year Plan period (2002-07).

The country plans to add another 16,501.17MW of hydropower capacity by 2012. While the country has a hydropower potential of 300,000MW, around 145,000MW of this can be exploited.

NHPC shut down Sikkim's Teesta Stage-V power station

GANGTOK, 25 Sept: The NHPC has has temporarily shut down power generation at Teesta Stage-V power station due to excessive silt and trash in the Teesta. An NHPC press release informs that generation was stopped on 22 September at 7:50 a.m. Stage-V has its dam at Dikchu and power station at Sirwani near Singtam.

The several landslides upstream in North Sikkim have loaded Teesta with excessive silt and debris, convincing NHPC to stall generation “as a preventive measure”.

Excessive silt can damage the underwater components of the turbine and presence of high volumes of trash in the reservoir restricts the flow of water to the machine, the release explains.

D. Chattopadhyay, Chief Engineer in-charge, Teesta-V Power Station, has assured that the power station will resume generation after “getting the silt and trash content in the water within the permissible limit”.

Sikkim boycotts NHPC Stage-IV Hydro Project

The affected people of Teesta Stage-IV and their representatives boycott the public hearing scheduled for 22 July at Namprikdang.

North Sikkim, 22 July: The affected people of Dzongu carried through their resolve to boycott the public hearing called for Teesta Stage-IV hydel project with complete unanimity today. When all of them, including their panchayats and MLA, remained no-shows at the venue of the public hearing, the Namprikdang Ground, even till noon, the DC [North], who chairs the public hearing panel, postponed the public hearing till further notice since not even a single person had shown up, save the concerned officials and NHPC representatives.

The venue was hit by a minor case of arson last night when some banners and decorations at the stage were burned by miscreants. No substantial damage was caused.

The affected people, along with their panchayats, it may be recalled, had resolved that even though they were not opposed to the project per se, they could not trust NHPC anymore since they had seen the denials and ignored promises suffered by the affected people of Teesta Stage-V developed slightly downstream from where NHPC proposes to develop the Rs. 3,594.74 crore Stage-IV. They had drafted an 11-point list of queries and clarifications [see NOW! issue dated 22 July 2011 for details], which was submitted to the DC earlier in the morning.

The joint representation of the panchayat and public details that they want a written reply from NHPC to all the queries before they reconsider their decision.

Announcing the postponement of the public hearing, the DC directed NHPC to carry out thorough public consultation before the public hearing whenever it is called for next so that such a boycott was not repeated.

As per the Environment Impact Assessment and Management Plan prepare for the project, a total of 14 villages/ blocks will be “directly affected” due to various project activities. The total population of these villages is 14,291 divided among 2,793 households. As of now, none of them has any faith in assurances that NHPC would have made at the public hearing.

The hearing was scheduled to begin at Namprikdang Ground in Upper Dzongu at 11 a.m. this morning, but no official business could be conducted in light of the zero turn-out of people or their representatives.

Speaking with media-persons here, the NHPC Executive Director [Siliguri], Dhiman Parija, sought to alleviate the feeling of hurt expressed loud and clear today, by insisting that if the corporation has missed out something, it will make amends.

He added that NHPC will now approach the affected people, understand their grievances in more detail and fulfil their demands. He also stated that the people should express their demands and commented that today’s boycott came as a surprise, insisting that “everything was normal till the day before”.

AK Choudhary, Chief Engineer, NHPC Teesta Stage-IV, explained the project details. NHPC plans to generate 2,372 million units of power from Teesta Stage IV, 13% of which will be the State’s share. He also stated that the corporation was “always open to discuss as per the memorandum”.

The Teesta Stage-IV hydroelectric project is located on the Teesta in North Sikkim and 327.07 hectare will be acquired for it- 143.49 ha Government and Forest land and 180.58 private land.

The proposed dam site is located downstream of the confluence of Run Chhu with Teesta near Chandey village.

The major components of the project are located on the right bank (Dzongu area) while other infrastructure (project headquarters, store, workshop and labour colony) will be created on the left bank to minimize the land requirement in Dzongu. The dam is to be located at Zimchung and Hee-Gyathang villages, while the adit works will be confined to the Gnon Sangdong GPU. The labourers and officers colonies are proposed in Tingchim-Mangshilla GPU.

(NowDaily)

Sikkim govt deadline for NHPC on grade rejig

NHPC workers after a meeting with officials of the power company and the district administration in Gangtok on Friday

Gangtok, Sept. 3: The NHPC has been given three months by the Sikkim government to decide on the workers’ demand of re-designating their grades according to their education qualification.
Fifty-three persons, whose families had given land for the NHPC’s 510MW project at Balutar, 42km from here, had been recruited by the power company in 2004 in the W-0 grade under the rehabilitation and relief plan.
On August 31, the workers resorted to an indefinite strike alleging that they have been given the lowest grade irrespective of their educational qualifications.
The agitation was withdrawn after the East district administration intervened and fixed a meeting between the NHPC and the workers for September 3.
Today, after a 90-minute meeting with the power company, workers and representatives from the labour wing of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front, East district collector D. Anandan said: “The NHPC Teesta Stage V management has sought three months to place the workers’ demands before their higher authorities. The management has not given any commitment but we have explicitly told them not to dilly-dally. We have told them to come to a concrete decision within three months.”
The NHPC was represented by its executive director D. Parija and chief engineer in-charge of the project D. Chattopadhya.
The power officials claimed that under the plan agreed upon by the NHPC and the Sikkim government in 2001, those who gave their land for the project were supposed to be directly appointed under W-0 grade with provisions for promotion according to their qualifications later.

Denying the claim, Anandan said: “The people recruited under the plan should have been directly appointed to suitable posts as per qualifications and others should be given training for technical posts. This was not done by the NHPC.”
Sangram S. Basnett, a mechanical engineer who represents the workers, said: “Initially, the NHPC officials were not showing much interest but when the district administration raised the issue strongly, they asked for three months. The pressure is on the NHPC to do something. If they don’t, we will definitely fight for our rights.”

NHPC organises free medical camp at North Sikkim

GANGTOK, October 14: A free medical and eye care camp was organized at Junior High School, Zimchung, Rangrang in North Sikkim by NHPC Limited, Teesta IV Hydroelectric Project officials on October 11.
The camp was inaugurated by M D Thapa, the public representative of Rangrang area in the presence of AK Chaudhary, Chief Engineer (Teesta-IV), other senior officers and various political and social workers of the area.
A press release adds that a team of doctors and paramedics led by D. Nath, Chief Medical Officer, NHPC organized the camp that was one of the many camps periodically organized by NHPC across various areas in Sikkim since the past many years.
In the one-day general healthcare camp & eye-care camp, about 200 patients were thoroughly examined and several problems like Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, Lower Respiratory Tract Infections, Asthma, Urinary Tract Infections, Diarrhoea, Hypertension, Cardiac problems, etc. were diagnosed. Free medicines were distributed to all the patients.
While informing that some of the patients examined were completely unaware of the prevailing serious ailments and were suffering silently, the release pointed out that the patients were thoroughly examined and were suggested to undergo regular medical checkups. Eye checkups of 60 patients showcased allergic conjunctivitis, cataract, refractive errors, etc., the release said adding that 29 patients were prescribed glasses that shall be distributed free-of-cost within next few days.
While the local people thanked NHPC officials and doctors for organizing such public welfare camps, the NHPC officials thanked the school authorities and local inhabitants for all the cooperation extended by them during the camp.

Two NHPC hydel projects in Sikkim delayed

Gangtok,Sep 4 Two of state-owned NHPC&aposs proposed hydel projects in Sikkim may be delayed by three to five years due to resistance by a section of locals, according to a senior NHPC official.

Of the two projects, the finalisation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the 520 MW Teesta Stage IV project in North Sikkim has been delayed by at least two years apparently because of&aposresistance&aposby local people at the instance of an apolitical outfit - Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT), the official said on the condition of anonymity.

A section of Lepcha tribals were instigated by the ACT not to cooperate with the NHPC officials in investigations work for nearly two years after the NHPC and the state government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Teesta Stage IV project in September 2007, he said.

With all required formalities getting delayed beyond the stipulated time frame, the commissioning of the Teesta Stage IV hydel project will be delayed beyond its scheduled time - 2011-12, he said.

Hydro-Power projects a boon or bane for Sikkim?

The 510 MW Teesta Stage V hydel power station commissioned by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) was dedicated to the nation recently by Union Power Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde in a formal ceremony at Baluwatar located in East Sikkim along the Teesta river, some 40 kms away from the Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

Built at a cost of Rs. 2619 crores and completed in a span of eight years, the Teesta Stage V mega power project had been fully commissioned in March last year and is one of the largest hydel power plants in the Northeast region.

The electricity being generated at Teesta Stage V plant is being supplied to power the deficit States of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar which had previously entered into a purchase agreement with NHPC.

Mr. Shinde said that the Teesta Stage V plant would go a long way to tide over the power shortage in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar. The Union Minister also added that the commissioning of the hydel plant has also helped the Himalayan state of Sikkim financially as it has been getting 12 per cent free power of its installed capacity which fetches it about 125 crores annually. This has emerged as a permanent source of revenue which could be utilized for various development works. The Union Minister lavishly praised Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for his commitment to the state’s development. Mr. Shinde said that it was due to Mr. Chamling’s leadership that the border state of Sikkim will become financially self-reliant in years to come, once all the ongoing power project construction works are completed and get commissioned.Chief Minister Chamling termed the inauguration of the project as an exemplary act of development done by Sikkim.

However, ACT, an NGO based on North Sikkim, is in no mood to say that the hydro power projects being set up in the state are completely for the prosperity of the Sikkimese people. It is demanding that the heavy hydro power projects being set up in Dzongu, the place of origin of the Lepcha community, the primitive tribe of India, should be stopped. The organization has been staging a continuous relay hunger strike since 20th June, 2007.

Protestors voice their grievances to deaf ears
Mr. Dawa Lepcha and Tenzing Lecpha had even staged a continuous month long hunger strike without even drinking water. Later on, they withdrew their strike on the assurance from the government that some of their demands would be taken into consideration. However, the state government did not stick to this promise.

Despite all this, ACT was the talk of the state till the period before the general elections of 2009. The political observers were also of the view that Lepcha votes would go against the SDF, the ruling party. And the movement was also able to earn the sympathy not only from Lepchas but also from other communitys, so much that some political parties had even tried to fight the election, riding on ACT.

However, with the announcement of the election results, the ACT movement took a back seat as the SDF won the election with a thumping majority of all 32 seats in the Assembly and also the Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Sonam Gyathso Lepcha, MLA of Dzongu constituency, also won by a huge margin from the constituency. These election results speak of the popularity of the SDF and the people’s support of the mega hydle power projects. SDF chief Mr. Chamling rewarded the Dzongu MLA Mr. Lepcha by promoting him to the post of Power minister from a mere MLA.

ACT holds the view that besides the threat to the Lepcha community, the power projects have affected the environment too. Mr. Tseten Lepcha, coordinator of the organization said that the Panan project one of the hydro power projects in Dzongu is being developed by encroaching into the Khangchendzonga National Park as the developers are undertaking catchments area treatment there.

On the other hand, the state as well as the developers contended that this was not a project component and would be returned after completion of the catchments area treatment. This is in violation of Supreme Court orders. Other grievances of ACT are influx of outsiders into the Lepcha reserve of Dzongu and the resultant dilution of Lepcha culture and heritage..

Are hydro power projects really dangerous for the environment?
ONe of the tunnels at the Teesta River

Experts are of the view that hydro power is more reliable and efficient and a less expensive energy source than geothermal, biomass, wind, and solar energy. It is a clean source of power as it produces no carbon dioxide, sulfurdioxide, nitrous oxides, or any other air emissions. In addition, it produces no solid or liquid waste. Hydro power is also one of the least expensive sources of electricity.

Mr. S. K. Garg, Chairman & Managing Director, NHPC Ltd, also adds that while developing hydropower projects, NHPC is very sensitive and concerned about R&R and environmental issues and adopts a very balanced approach.

He says NHPC obtains site, environment and forest clearances as per the statutory requirements and also tries to utilize minimum forest area. Environment impact assessment is conducted and based on that, an environment management plan (EMP) is framed to properly address the environmental issues. Close monitoring is done to ensure effective implementation of EMPs. Post-construction EIA to evaluate pre- and post-construction scenario to ascertain the efficacy of environment management plan is also undertaken.

What is left of our Children?
According to him, NHPC has formulated detailed compensation packages based on various approved relief and rehabilitation guidelines. Compensation package includes various allowances for shifting, subsistence allowances until a family member finds employment, special grants for SC/ST families, and rehabilitation sites for affected families with adequate infrastructure, sanitation, educational and other amenities. NHPC also ensures a public hearing process and tribunals for redressing public grievances on these issues.

But it is also a fact that most hydroelectric projects have dams whereby a river habitat is often replaced by a lake habitat. Thus, habitats for wildlife on land and for organisms in the water are destroyed or altered by impoundments of rivers. Examples in Tennessee are the Little Tennessee River and Tellico Lake. The biggest issue in the Northwest has been blocking upstream and downstream movement of fish. Salmon must be able to migrate upstream from the ocean to reproduce in fresh water. Even with the use of fish ladders to help salmon go up over dams and enter upstream spawning areas, the presence of hydroelectric dams essentially has changed the migration pattern of fish. The coho, chinook, and sockeye salmon populations of the Northwest, which once were abundant, are either on or will soon be on the endangered species list. They are headed for extinction, in part, because of hydropower. However, federal dams, not nonfederal dams, are primarily responsible for the reduction of the Pacific Northwest salmon population from about 16 million to 300,000 wild fish each year. The bottom line is that hydropower production is decreasing as new environmental protection is enforced. Another big problem now is getting the young fish back downstream and into the ocean. On the way they can be killed as they pass through the turbines. Development of hydroelectric dams can have adverse effects on water quality in several different ways. Tree clearing can result in soil erosion and landslides, causing a buildup of sediments that can clog up streams. Spilling of water over spillways can result in super saturation of the water with gases from the air. The gas bubbles, which are absorbed into fish tissue, may cause damage and ultimately kill the fish.

Another problem with dams is that, even if the water quality is not degraded, major habitat changes can occur if the natural hydrology of the river is changed. This issue is normally lumped under the term “in stream flow” problems. If the amount of water released downstream changes, either on a seasonal basis or, in the short term, say, on an hourly basis, that can have adverse effects on fish and other organisms

NHPC week

Gangtok,Nov12: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s Stage-V division has been observing its vigilance awareness week since Monday. A pledge was administered by executive director of the project S. Roy to the employees at its office in Balutar, Sikkim.

TARKHOLA STRETCH TO OPEN FOR ALL VEHICLES FROM TODAY

RANGPO, October05: The Tarkhola stretch along the National Highway 31-A will be opened for all vehicles from October 5.
Tired by long traffic jams because of the temporary single way road constructed by the Border Roads Organisations, drivers have breathed a sigh of relief over the news.
The 50 mtr road at Tarkhola attached with Tarkhola Bridge was washed away on September 17 causing much difficulty for transportation. The persistent rains had triggered large scale road damage that led to the complete collapse of the road and the bridge. Refilling works caused due to landslips and cave ins have are been carried out rapidly to meet the deadline

NH-31A Road repair by October

Kalimpong, Sept. 20: Darjeeling district magistrate Rajesh Pandey has asked all agencies looking after different roads in the hills to complete their repair and resurfacing work by October 15.
However, given the extensive damage caused to NH31A by the monsoon rain, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which maintains the major portion of the highway, has sought time till December.
The NHPC, which has taken over the responsibility of maintaining a small stretch of the badly damaged road above its project site at 27 Mile, has been given an extended time as well.
A high-level review meeting called by Pandey in Siliguri with representatives of different agencies maintaining the roads today took stock of the prevailing condition.
Talking over phone after the meeting, Pandey said given the approaching festivities which coincide with the autumn tourist season in the hills, it was imperative to get all the roads back in running condition.
The two main road links between Kalimpong/Sikkim and Siliguri — NH31A and the Damding-Algarah-Reshi road — remained closed for days together due to landslides and cave-ins.
Pandey also said the only operating petrol pump in town has been asked to keep its stock full at all times.

Fuel crisis protest @ Kalimpong

Kalimpong, Sept. 19: Supporters of the Citu-affiliated Hill Motor Driver Workers’ Union today gheraoed the office of the subdivisional officer (SDO) here demanding proactive steps by the administration to end the fuel crisis plaguing Kalimpong.
The shortage of petroleum has resulted from the fact that tankers and petroleum carriers are finding it difficult to reach the hill town as rains and landslides continue to disrupt roads in the hills.
“Fuel is being sold in bulk to hoarders who in turn are making a killing by selling it in the black market at a premium. Besides, the petrol pumps are also taking unusually long in placing fresh orders,” alleged Tara Sundas, the president of the Citu’s Kalimpong unit. “If the problem is not resolved soon we will bring the entire traffic in the hills to a stop.”
Of the three petrol pumps in the town, two have been closed for different reasons. The one at 8th Mile is facing charges of adulteration, while the 11th Mile petrol pump suffered extensive damage in a landslide earlier this month.
Sundas also came down heavily on the NHPC for damaging NH31A at 27th Mile. “We can’t let the NHPC survive at the expense of the people of Kalimpong and Sikkim.”
Members of the GNLF-affiliated Gorkha National Drivers’ Front echoed Sundas. A delegation of front members met the SDO today and expressed concern over the damage done to their trucks by bulldozers and excavators of the NHPC while negotiating the landslide-hit stretch of road at 27th Mile.
The SDO, P.T. Sherpa, promised to look into the problems at the earliest. “I will take up the issue at the meeting called by Darjeeling district magistrate Rajesh Pandey in Siliguri tomorrow. The meeting has been called to review the condition of the road network in the hills.”

Border Roads Organisation(BRO) takes Sikkim Media on Tour of Affected Areas

Gangtok ,Sept16: Border Roads Organisation(BRO) has organised a tour programme of journalists and media people to the affected landslide zones of NH-31 A highway that connects to Sikkim to demonstrate the kind of work it is doing and engaged into portion of highway which have been breached by natural calamities and extensive damages it has suffered on these road links .

This tour was also in response to The Chief Minister, Dr.Pawan Chamling's letter to the Prime Minister, Dr.Manmohan Singh drawing his attention to the poor state of maintenance of the 31A National Highway and Border Roads Organisation(BRO) are not keeping required manpower and machineries to deal with natural calamities like landslides that occur frequently along the 31A NH.

Shri Dikshit has also informed to the journalists that it has adequate manpower and material or machineries to cope up with situation that often results in blocking the connectivity to Sikkim.However the scale of natural calamities and scale of damages it has caused to NH-31A is much more massive and bigger than historically they were dealing with. Mr.Dikshit apprised to all that recent incessant rains have triggered many major landslides along the 31 A NH in a number of places which has resulted in cutting off Sikkim completely from the rest of the country.However,it has enagaged men and machineries at all points to restore the highway at earliest.These important points are near Kali jhora and Coronation bridge, Hathisuray, Chitray, Labor -botey, Tar Khola located along the 31A NH and Lava-Algaraj road.

It has also informed about the decision of Commissioner Jalpaiguri on meeting held on September 4th to handover portion of highway for maintenance to NHPC near 27th mile of Kalijhora area as it has only distablize the entire highway by building dam and compromising the stability of entire area in process although it would provide all help to NHPC if need arise.

It has also said that bailey bridge isbeing put-up at Tar Jhora similar to one it has build on zemu in northsikkim after last month flash flood damages.

27th Mile Cave In - DANTAK & NHPC at loggerheads over road repairs

SIKKIM SUFFERS ANOTHER SET BACK.

Gangtok,Sept14: Even though the rain seems to have taken a respite,the spate of bad news over the NH-31A highway continued unabated. A day of hope fuelled by assurance from Project Dantak is followed almost unfailingly by news of more damages on the same old trouble spots on the highway.
Traffic on the National Highway was affected again at two places, both historically sinking zones, At 27th Mile,above the NHPC hydel project site at Kalijhora near Rambhi in West Bengal which has now become a migraine for DANTAK as well as the public of Sikkim , a Sikkim bound tanker is informed to have sunk along with the road portion. The tanker reports indicated it belongs to SNT,the road collapse which took place some time last night has again resulted in keeping this stretch of the highway out of bounds for the traffic movement for entire day .All vehicles bound to Sikkim were forced to take detour Via Darjeeling to reach their destinations in Sikkim. It is expected that sinking stretch will be made motor able by Saturday evening.
Project Dantak Superintendent Engineer Mr. Dikshit informs that a meeting had been convened by Commissioner Jalpaiguri a couple of days ago where it was decided that the 27th Mile stretch will be tackled solely by the NHPC engineers and not any other agency.
The decision was taken as it was opined that the area’s stability has been compromised not by landslides or natural events but due to Dam Construction work below the highway and that the base of the hill from the water level up has become totally untenable. NHPC has been asked to stop all construction activities if it wants Dantak to chip in with assistance from it for the time being.
If that wasnot enough the bailey bridge over lepcha jhora near Chitrey is also informed to be sinking and is perceptibly tilting towards valley side. The threat is evident for for few days now but no efforts to limit the loads of vehicle passing through it has been effected by concerned authorities till yesterday but today they have restricted movement of light vehicles only .Supplies brought into heavy trucks to Sikkim has to be transshipped through smaller vehicles.
It is informed that Dantak will take up repairs on Saturday but it will be few days before the bridge is restored to its original status.
Meanwhile, the bailey bridge at Tar Jhora ,as informed , is in its place but leftover work to be completed by this weekend.
There are also reports few tankers of LPG and Petrol/Diesel bound for Sikkim are being held at Raiganj in North Bengal due to collapse of a bridge there.However,DC East has contacted his counterparts to release tankers on priority basis due to shortage of LPG etc. in Sikkim.

NHPC TO TAKE UP REPAIR OF DAMAGED NH31A NEAR TARKHOLA

RANGPO, September 11: Sikkim remained cut off from the rest of the world following the incessant rain, which is showing no signs of letting up.
The road connectivity to this Himalayan State remained disrupted today, with the National Highway 31A is still reeling under severe landslides at several places.
The Highway, pockmarked with several landslides all along, remains vulnerable with fresh landslides that occurred at a number of places on Friday and Saturday.
Adding to the problems, a portion of the road near Tarkhola between Rangpo and Melli caved in and a large portion of the road connecting the bridge over Mamkhola was completely washed away. About 30 meters of the road connecting the bridge has caved in.
With the landslide near Coronation Bridge still active, the new problem areas have added to the normal traffic flow between Gangtok and Siliguri. Passengers heading towards Siliguri are now forced to take a detour via Mansang, Kalimpong, Chitrey, Teesta and Darjeeling, which has lengthened the route to about 240 kms.
While the BRO has been actively engaged in clearing the slides and arranging temporary solutions to ensure movement for at least small vehicles, the inclement weather and inadequate manpower is severely hampering restoration work along the Highway.
According to informed sources, the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) has taken up the responsibility of repairing the portion of the damaged road and bridge near Tarkhola. Work is expected to begin from tomorrow.

Central team to visit NHPC project sites

GANGTOK, Aug 28: A Central team will visit Sikkim soon to inspect the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation project sites at Rambi which suffered a loss of over Rs 100 crore following recent flash floods in the area."The Centre is sending a senior official to assess the damages done by flood to the NHPC's Teesta Low Dam Project," said Mr OP Thakur, general manager of the NHPC. "The joint secretary of the Union power ministry along with NHPC chairman Mr SK Garg will visit the NHPC sites at Rambi and Kalijhora soon," Mr Thakur, added. The team will also visit the NHPC project site at Singtam in East Sikkim, said a NHPC official."They will inspect the progress of work of the Sikkim project, which is already running one year behind schedule," the official, added. It may be recalled that the Teesta had flooded the NHPC project sites recently, washing away costly equipment and construction materials. "This was the most dangerous flood occurred in the past 40 years n the state," Mr Thakur, added. Meanwhile, construction works of the NHPC are yet to be restored

NHPC CEMENT RACKETEER SURRENDERS

RANGPO, August 19: Raj Kumar Agarwal, the owner of the hardware shop at Rangpo who was involved in the illegal hoarding of cement meant for the NHPC project site at Baluwatar Singtam surrendered before the Rangpo Police on Friday night.
He was produced before the East District Court on Saturday.
However, following the death of his father, Raj Kumar Agarwal has been given a bail of 13 days to conduct the funeral rites.
The Police was on the look out of him after a complaint was lodged against him at Rangpo Thana on August 5, earlier this month

Vehicle of Hydel Developer Set On Fire in Gangtok

Hunt for Van arsonists

Gangtok: The Sikkim police are hunting arsonists who set a Tavera Van bearing No. SK-02/8288 ablaze in the midnight hours around 11.35 pm on Saturday. The Vehicle reported to be owned by RamPrasad of Himgiri Hydro Energy Pvt.Ltd . The Van was half gutted by the blaze while being kept parked in front of Sonam House , development area of Gangtok.

And many local residents believe it could have been an attempt to create fear among hydel employees as they are involved into implementing Panan hydel project in Dzongu,Sikkim or it could be just handi-work of some anti social elements with no direct motive than just to cause arson. It is informed that attempt was made by dousing the ground around the vehicle with petrol than lighting it .A jerry-can with some petrol still inside have been recovered from the vicinity.

The leaping flames and thick smoke attracted the attention of people of locality who informed about it to Police immediately. One resident of development area said : "We could see this black smoke in the sky, so we went outside to see what was happening."

Development area Resident added: "damage was caused to the vehicle. The fire is being treated as suspicious, and Sikkim police are investigating. No arrests have been made although a case under Section 435 have been registered at Sadar Thana on written complaint of Pravin Kumar,project-in charge of Company". Police have seized the vehicle and Police sources informed that no major damage was caused to Vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to call or contact Sikkim Police by dialing 100.

SAFE, CITIZEN FORUM RAISE VOICES OF CONCERN FOR TEESTA STAGE V

RALEY, August, 09: While simultaneously opposing the Panan hydel project planned in the Dzongu reserve, the members of Citizen Forum and SAFE has raised their voices of concern for the affected families of Teesta Stage V at Dikchu.
During a Jan Sampark Abhiyan organised today at Raley under Rakdong Tintek Constituency, an unanimous resolution was passed to form a steering committee to carry a re-survey in the affected areas.
Thukchuk Lachungpa, President, Citizen Forum was present in the meeting as the chief guest. Also present were Bharat Basnet, Convener, SAFE, KN Upreti, Convener, Citizen Forum, Gyatso Lepcha, President, Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim and a huge congregation of the affected people from Raley, Khamdong, Makha, Dickhu and other areas.
Speaking at the meet, Mr. Lachungpa highly objected the disparities brought by the state government recently in disbursing the relief packages unevenly. “It is the poor people who are genuinely deprived of the real benefits,” he added.
Stating that there is no any hidden political agenda for his voice Mr. Lachungpa also urged the people to come forward with their grievances straightforwardly and fight for their rights.
Making people aware about the environmental hampers caused due to hydel projects he added, “Let us not compromise our future at the cost of environment.” If no such reactions are made presently, Mr Lachungpa felt that a day will come when all the people of Sikkim will hold a second class citizenship and the influx will enjoy all the rights including political rights. He also said that a solution should come from the state government in case of the distribution of the compensatsation.
Bharat Basnet in his part said “It is high time for the people to understand the value of sacrifice made by Dawa and Tenzing who are in a continuous hunger strike for the last 51 days in STNM Hospital.” Stating the hydel project is not a matter for the Lepchas only he said it pertains to each and every individual of Sikkim.
Stating that the consequences of NHPC stage V is reason enough for us to understand what can happen to mother nature, Gyatso Lepcha, President, Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim questioned what might be the repercussion of more than 26 mega hydel projects commissioned in Sikkim.
He further added, “We are not at all ready to compromise with our environment at any cost and the Government should immediately scrap all the projects.”
Earlier, Bhim Prasad Nepal, one of the affected landowners of Teesta Stage V lambasted on the Panchayats and the State Government for not disbursing the compensation in the right earnest. “There is nobody to pay heed to our grievances. Please give us justice,” he said. He also brought into the notice of the people that the project has resulted into the loss of the fertility of the soil as a result of which no fruitful cultivation had taken place in the recent years in the affected areas

(sikkim express)

“haphazard disbursement” of the relief cum compensation by East District Collectorate

GANGTOK: The people of Raley under Rakdong Tintek constituency today came in with strong criticism against the “haphazard disbursement” of the relief cum compensation to the affected families of NHPC Teesta Stage V power project.
The disbursement was recently made by the office of the East District Collectorate.
While talking with the media today, most of the people expressed their resentment stating that there were several loopholes and foul play which has ultimately deprived the affected families of their actual compensation.
“We have been cheated. The officials simply handed a sum of Rs 5,000 in minimum and Rs 15,000 in maximum as part of the compensation, which is nothing in terms of the damages caused by the project,” lamented Kamala Gautam of Raley.
This is not only the story of few deprived ones. Majority of the people have expressed their dissatisfaction towards the survey that was carried out by the Teesta Steering Committee headed by the Area MLA, Norzang Lepcha.
“We don’t want the State Government to come in between the affected families and the NHPC. Let us do the straight dealing. We don’t want any middle man,” said Ratna Bahadur Kharka whose house has cracked by the constant blasting carried out during the construction process.
In fact, the people have unanimously demanded the Government’s intervention for a re survey on the damage posed by the power project and subsequently to compensate the same without any kind of delay.
“We were deceived with lucrative offers earlier and now we repent as why we allocated our land for the project. Let similar history not repeat with the people of Dzongu. This is our appeal,” added Ram Prasad Kharka.
According to the source information at NHPC as well as tallying with the survey report, a sum of Rs. One crore six lakhs was handed over to the State Government as a part of the compensation with minimum of 20 thousands to 2 lakhs taking the intensity of the damage. The villagers, however, alleged that the State Government did not fulfill the said criteria.
Talking with a local newspaper Subash Khanal, President, Steering Committee, said that there altogether 119 houses were identified during the survey in which 102 included the families while other 17 remaining included infrastructure such as school buildings, ICDS centres, Health related buildings and temples.
The survey, it should be mentioned was carried out nearly one and a half years back.
Meanwhile, Citizen Forum is organizing a “patience hearing” at Raley on 9 August. Thukchuk Lachungpa, President, Citizen Forum informed media that the main objective of the meeting is to give a patience hearing towards the grievances of the people who are the “innocent victim” of the Teesta Stage V.

Sikkim Police Arrests Cement ‘racketeer’

Cement ‘racketeer’ arrested in Sikkim
Gangtok:Aug 6: Police seized two cement-laden lorries at Rangpo in East Sikkim yesterday and arrested Bishnu Darnal, a supervisor of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation on charges of illegally transporting 400 cement bags. The action follows a complaint lodged by Mr Madan Chhetri, president of the Truck Drivers and Owners’ Association, Sikkim, with the police. Mr Chettri had alleged that the cement-laden lorry was unloaded at the hardware shop of one Mr Raj Kumar Agrawal at Rangpo. “The truck was bound for NHPC project site at Singtam in Sikkim from Rangapani in West Bengal. It, however, reached the Rangpo check point with false documents prepared by the cement racketeer,” said DIG Range, Mr Akshay Sachdeva. “This is a serious case,” he added. and they all are in police custody so the case will be further investigate thoroughly,” Mr. Sachdeva added. It may be recalled that the police had recently arrested eight persons and seized three lorries with 600 bags of cement at Singtam. The arrested persons were identified as Sandip Agarwal, Suresh Agarwal, Anand Biswakarma, Ashok Maithey, Rajesh Kumar, Sandip Sintury, Phurba Sherpa and Ronald Chhetri