Hundreds missing after deadly flash flooding in Nepal

A committee representing two ethnic communities in Sikkim has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to halt all new and proposed hydropower projects in the Himalayan state following a devastating flash flood disaster in Nepal. The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that at least 13 hydropower projects on the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli River corridors were severely damaged due to an earthquake-triggered avalanche of ice and rock in Tibet.

The mudslide struck Tibet’s Gyirong port and rushed into Nepal, producing high-speed flash floods that destroyed roads, power projects, and submerged villages, including the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Plant in Nepal’s Rasuwa district.

On Wednesday, the Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) called on Prime Minister Modi to cease new hydroelectric projects in Sikkim and initiate an independent, time-bound analysis of the ongoing ones. SIBLAC leader Tseten Taski Bhutia, who also serves as the chief advisor to the Sikkim unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, expressed solidarity with the Nepali flood victims and called for a swift recovery effort.

Bhutia emphasized that the Nepal disaster underscores the Himalayan region's fragility and advocates for a comprehensive evaluation of development projects in the area.

Bhutia urged the Center to reconsider plans for new hydroelectric projects on Sikkim’s rivers, outlining a desire for a white paper detailing the environmental, geological, seismic, social, and national security impact of existing and proposed projects. While not opposed to development, SIBLAC stresses that it must not compromise the ecological and social security of India’s Himalayan frontier.

Sikkim has previously faced natural disasters linked to hydropower projects, most recently the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood that destroyed the 1,200MW Teesta-III power plant in Chungthang and severely affected downstream energy infrastructure along the Teesta River.