Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023 08:15 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Oct 11, 2023 02:34 [IST]
GANGTOK,: Chief secretary VB Pathak has ruled out speculations and a claim that the Teesta Urja-III dam at Chungthang disintegrated due to the blast of Army explosives swept downstream after the South Lhonak lake burst on the intervening night of October 3-4.
A video on social media is doing rounds where a Chungthang resident claims that the dam suffered explosions before it was washed away by the glacial lake flood last Tuesday night. The opposition SDF had also said that speculations of washed away Army bombs hitting and exploding on the mega dam should also be forensically examined.
“There is no official confirmation on the explosion. If there was an explosion, this should have been notified on the October 4th morning itself in our police station. There is no such report. It appears like an afterthought (the claim on social media). The explosives are going through a high volume of water and such a massive explosion does not appear to be very probable when these explosives are travelling through water,” said Pathak to a question during his Tuesday press meet.
But this angle also needs to be examined by a team of forensic experts and those who deal with bomb disposals who can give their opinions in due course of time, added the chief secretary.
Pathak informed that the State government will initiate a detailed inquiry by a multi-disciplinary team of experts regarding the collapse of Teesta-III dam at Chungthang, once the situation normalizes. That will take time…presently, our focus is on the rescue, relief and restoration, he said.
To a question, the chief secretary said there are multiple speculations on whether the Teesta River flashflood was triggered by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) or a cloud burst at South Lhonak Lake.
An expert team from the NDMA will come and investigate in detail whether it was a GLOF event or a cloud burst, said Pathak.
The chief secretary, to a media question, informed that an Advanced Warning System (AWS) had been installed this September at South Lhonak Lake and Sakochu Lake, both glacial lakes in a joint effort of the NDMA, SSDMA and Swiss Development Corporation (SDC).
Two expedition teams with representatives of the NDMA and SDC had been sent this September to the two glacial lakes where they installed the AWS, as per the chief secretary. The system was to give reports that were to be monitored by the Swiss agency in consultation with the NDMA.
“Unfortunately, this system that was installed by the joint expedition did not send any advance warning. Most probably it was not working when this incident took place. We don’t have the exact idea at the moment but this is the presumption we are making,” said Pathak. He added that the non-functioning of the AWS was already informed to the NDMA.
Asked if the Chungthang dam was insured, the chief secretary said he has to check the exact position as the dam was a property of the Sikkim Urja Ltd where the State government is the majority stakeholder. Generally such big structures are insured, he said.
On the Teesta-III project’s future, the chief secretary said there would be a detailed assessment of the hydel power project plant and its dam by technical teams once normalcy is restored.
