May 2024: Another landslide at NHPC’s Lower Subansiri HEP leads to death, destruction

The controversial 2000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydropower Project of NHPC has suffered yet another landslide disaster in which one worker has died. The project has suffered damages, but the project authorities have not informed the people the reasons for this landslides, nor extent of damage and implications for project future. Project is already much delayed and after massive landslide in April and Oct 2023, its commissioning has been majorly rescheduled from earlier projected 2023-24 to now 2025-26 or subsequent date. The implications of these on the project cost and cost of electricity from the project are not known, not made public by NHPC.

“A worker, Putul Gogoi, engaged in protection work got fatally injured on May 27 at around 4.30 pm at upstream of Diversion Tunnel Cavity Protection Area due to sudden fall of boulders from an elevation of around 100 m on left bank hill, directly hitting him while working on the pile up reinforcement work for concreting upstream of dam site” according to a UNI story quoting a statement from Project authorities.[i]

Landslide at Subansiri Lower HEP (Sentinel 0524)

The incident led to severe injuries for the worker, who was promptly rushed to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh. Resident doctors at AMCH declared him brought dead upon arrival. The deceased worker, Putul Gogoi, a resident of Mingmang Madanpur in Gogamukh.[ii]

According to sources, the landslide occurred at the hill allegedly made of sedimentary rock, located on the left bank of the dam, leading rocks to fall from a height.[iii]

NHPC’s 2000 MW under construction project has seen several landslides and disasters in the past including in Nov 2022, April 2023 and Oct 2023.[iv]

landslide has caused serious concern with regard to safety and security measures in the contentious mega dam project during the rainy season since the construction work of the project began. It raises controversy every year and creates panic among the people living in the downstream of the Subansiri river. The project has also been massively delayed because of such disasters.

SANDRP (ht.sandrp@gmail.com)