GANGTOK — The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Sunday, May 24, 2026, sharply criticised the “hurried and opaque inclusion” of Sikkim in the Brahmaputra Board, saying the move threatens the Teesta River, the state’s environment and democratic control over water resources. The party warned that bringing Sikkim under the board’s remit hands significant authority over local rivers to the Union government.
Constituted under the Brahmaputra Board Act, 1980, the Brahmaputra Board now has 17 members after the recent addition of Sikkim and West Bengal. While the board says its mandate covers flood control and bank erosion across the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys, the SDF highlighted that the board also prepares detailed project reports (DPRs) for dams and other water-resource projects-functions that could affect dam planning and river management in Sikkim.
The SDF pointed out the board operates under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, and argued this institutional link raises “serious concerns” that control over Sikkim’s rivers, including the Teesta, will be centralised. In a media statement, SDF spokesperson Krishna Kharel said the change follows a pattern under the current Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government of favouring hydropower developers and ceding state assets.
Kharel accused the SKM administration of overseeing the sale of the majority state equity in Teesta Stage III to Greenko and of reopening several hydropower projects that had been shelved during SDF rule. He added that many of these projects are being constructed in remote areas “without public consultation.” Kharel also rejected remarks by State Water Resources Minister Sonam Lama that blamed past governments for Sikkim’s late inclusion in the Brahmaputra Board, saying successive administrations-led by Narbahadur Bhandari, B.B. Gurung, Sanchaman Limboo and Pawan Chamling-never relinquished full control of the state’s rivers.
The SDF also demanded transparency over central disaster and river-protection funds. It said the SKM government has sought Rs 289 crore for “nala development” and a “river protection wall” after the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) in 2023, even though Rs 555.70 crore was already provided under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for GLOF recovery. The party noted an advance release of Rs 44.80 crore as the Centre’s share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for 2023–24 (approved October 5, 2023) and a separate Rs 48 crore in disaster relief, and asked publicly: where has this money been spent?
Calling the inclusion “reckless and uncalled-for interference” in Sikkim’s natural resources, the SDF said the move endangers the environment and future generations, and weakens the special constitutional and historical protections enshrined in the state’s old laws. The party demanded immediate answers and greater transparency on both governance and fund usage.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/sdf-says-inclusion-of-sikkim-in-brahmaputra-board-threatens-teesta-river
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