GANGTOK: The Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) has strongly condemned the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for granting clearance to amend the environmental approval for the controversial Teesta III dam project at Chungthang, North Sikkim.
In a press release issued on January 30, ACT general secretary Gyatsho Tongden Lepcha, the ACT denounced the ministry’s decision to approve a significant height increase for the dam, now set to stand 118.64 meters tall—more than double the original 60-meter height—despite the absence of a fresh public hearing.
The clearance, granted earlier this month, paves the way for the rebuilding of the 1200 MW hydroelectric project, which has been plagued by environmental and safety concerns since its inception. The ACT asserted that the approval is a clear example of governmental insensitivity toward the severe risks posed by the project, particularly given the disastrous collapse of Teesta III dam in October 2023. The collapse, which resulted in the loss of over 100 lives, followed earlier warnings from environmentalists and local communities about the high seismic activity and fragile geology of the Himalayan region.
ACT pointed out that the Teesta III project had already suffered major setbacks, including extensive damage from the 2011 earthquake, which delayed its construction and resulted in significant financial losses for the dam proponents. Despite these challenges, the group criticized the continued push for reconstruction, accusing both the government and private companies of prioritizing profit over safety, environmental protection, and the welfare of local communities.
The organization also noted that the MoEFCC’s clearance violated an earlier commitment made in 1999, which stipulated that no further dam projects would be considered for environmental approval in the Teesta River Basin until a comprehensive carrying capacity study was completed. The recent decision to approve the Teesta III rebuild, ACT argues, disregards this promise.
In addition to the environmental and social concerns, ACT raised alarms over the staggering costs associated with the dam project.
“The cumulative costs of building the Teesta III dam of over 14,000 crores rupees, the cost to rehabilitate and compensate the damages due to Teesta III dam burst, approximately 10,000 Crores and the additional 5000 Crores expected to be incurred to rebuild the dam, with no guarantee of success, will further burden the Government of Sikkim and its people with high indebtedness. These scares resources could have been better utilized to cater to the urgent social needs of the people of Sikkim rebuilding the bridges that were washed away in Sirwani, Sangkalang, Toong, Lachen, etc and restore the roads which was damaged severely by the floods across state”, said the ACT general secretary.
Gyatso also highlighted the potential dangers posed by climate change and seismic activity, warning that the project is “unviable, risky, and unsustainable.”
“The Government should stop all plans to rebuild the 1200 MW Teesta III dam for its unviability and social and environmental impacts on indigenous peoples and land and potential impacts due to climate change and high seismicity in Sikkim. The MoEFCC should revoke the clearance issued for rebuilding the Teesta III dam. The Teesta III dam should be decommissioned. The government, corporate bodies and financiers should honor the call of the indigenous peoples of Sikkim to ensure the free flow of Teesta River”.
- SA Report
