Yet another reminder of need to be sensitive to local ecologies while executing hydel projects: Ramesh on Sikkim flash flood

At least eight people died and 49 others, including 23 army personnel, went missing after a cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said.

New Delhi: As a flash flood wreaked havoc at the Teesta river basin in Sikkim on Wednesday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said it was yet another reminder of how the country must learn to be more sensitive to local ecologies while planning and executing hydroelectric projects in fragile areas.

At least eight people died and 49 others, including 23 army personnel, went missing after a cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said.

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The flood in Sikkim that started around 1.30 am was made worse by the release of water from Chungking dam, the officials said.

Ramesh, a former Union environment minister, said the flash flood was most anguishing.

“The nation grieves at this tragedy. It is yet another reminder of how we must learn to be more sensitive to local ecologies while planning for and executing hydel projects especially in fragile areas,” he said in a post on X.

“I don’t wish to say more at this painful moment except to recall my insistence as Minister on cumulative, comprehensive and credible environmental impact assessments before embarking on building dams. It is a tough call but hard decisions sometimes are called for to avoid such disasters. But we never seem to learn,” the Congress leader said.

At a briefing at the Congress headquarters, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said, “We pray to God that all those (missing) soldiers return safely as soon as possible.”