The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) have voiced strong opposition to the recent approval by the Environment Ministry’s panel for the reconstruction of the Teesta-III dam in Chungthang, North Sikkim. The proposed new dam will replace the previous 60-meter rock fill concrete structure with a significantly taller 118.64-meter concrete gravity dam. This decision was made without conducting a fresh public hearing or acquiring approval for the new design, sparking concerns about the increased capacity and water volume handling.
Gyatsho Tongden Lepcha, ACT’s general secretary, criticized this clearance as insensitive, especially given the dam’s disastrous history. The original dam collapsed in October 2023 due to a glacial lake outburst flood, citing earlier warnings about the area’s geological fragility and seismic risks which were ignored. The 2011 earthquake had already delayed the project’s completion and significantly damaged the infrastructure, impacting the region and causing financial strain.
ACT contends that the clearance violates a previous stipulation requiring a full carrying capacity study of the Teesta River Basin before approving new projects. They accuse government and corporate bodies of prioritizing profits over environmental and social well-being and neglecting the serious risk factors at play, including climate change impacts.
In addition to environmental risks, the ACT highlights the financial burden of rebuilding with no success guarantee, suggesting that resources could be better allocated towards pressing social needs such as infrastructure repair following flood damage.
The ACT’s statement serves as a stark warning, urging the government to cease all plans for rebuilding the Teesta-III dam, as it poses unsustainable risks to Sikkim’s ecological and societal landscape. They have called upon the Environment Ministry to revoke the approval, decommission the dam, and respect the local communities’ demands for the natural flow of the Teesta River.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/act-condemns-approval-for-new-teesta-iii-dam
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