Subansiri flows above danger level, flood inundates more than 50 villages

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Creating havoc and an alarming threat of massive flood in the downstream area of the Subsnsiri River, the rolling of overflowing water over main dam of the Subsnsiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) continued for the second day. This mega river dam project, being constructed by NHPC Limited at Gerukamukh located in the Assam Arunachal border area in Dhemaji district is once again under the wrath of nature this year too like the previous year. Due to heavy downpour in past few days in the State of Arunachal Pradesh, the water level of the Subansiri River started to overflow in the catchment areas of the SLHP as a result of which water has been rolling over the main dam of the project since Thursday night.

This resulted in the halt of ongoing construction work in the project which has reportedly faced damages in several infrastructures. At present, the Power House of the project is reeling under overflown water of the Subansiri River. Landslide has also affected the tunnels.

NHPC Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) AK Singh, while visiting the project two months back, declared that the SLHP would be commissioned in August of the current year. On the other hand, Union Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh who visited the SLHP on June 13 and 14 with two-day long programme, also declared that the project would be commissioned either by end of this year or by beginning of the next year. He also made a statement that the anti-SLHP mass agitation, initiated by various organizations, was sponsored by fund received from foreign countries.

Despite such arrogant declarations and statements, the phenomenon of rolling water over the 116 meter high dam of the project, which is under construction at present, has turned to be a big issue in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts. Overflowing water rolled over the main dam of the project in last year August too and inundated more than hundred villages in the downstream of the Subansiri River.

The water level of the Subansiri River has been rising in the downstream since Friday morning. The river is flowing above danger level at Dhalghat, Ghancharai and Silikhaguri measurement points for the second day (Saturday) as per a report found from Lakhimpur Division of Water Resources Department at the time of filing this report. As a result of it, the overflowing water of the river has inundated more than 50 villages under Ghunasuti, Pub-Telahi, Lohit Khabalu and Panigaon Gaon Panchayats under North Lakhimpur Revenue Circle.

On the other hand, the Executive Director of the SLHP on Friday termed the rolling of water over the dam is part of normal release of the same. According to him the diversion tunnel of the project is designed to release 5,000 cumec water over the dam and water has to be released through the designed process.

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