Assam: No more drying up of Subansiri River due to NHPC hydro power project, assures minister

LAKHIMPUR: The Subansiri River in Assam won’t dry up due to the landslide that blocked a diversion tunnel at the national hydroelectric power corporation (NHPC) project in Assam.

This was stated by Assam education minister Ranoj Pegu after visiting the NHPC power project site over Subansiri River on Tuesday (October 31) morning.

The Assam minister was briefed by officials of the NHPC on the current situation at the power project site and flow of water to the downstream areas.

Assam minister Ranoj Pegu said that the NHPC has assured him that the blockade of the diversion tunnel at the Subansiri power project won’t affect the water flow in the downstream areas of the river.

It may be mentioned here that the Subansiri River is a major source of water and livelihood for the people in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur districts of Assam.

Notably, the downstream areas of Subansiri River showed signs of drying up following the landslide at the hydro power project site of the NHPC that blocked a diversion tunnel affecting the flow of water towards downstream areas.

“I visited NHPC LHEP at Gerukamukh to inquire about the Subansiri River drying up on October 27,” said Assam minister Ranoj Pegu.

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He said: “During the dam construction, five diversion tunnels were created. With the completion of the dam, four tunnels were closed, leaving one open for river flow.”

“On the 27^th (of October), a landslide blocked the mouth of the 5th tunnel, causing a complete river blockage. Due to the lean season, authorities had to wait for the water level to reach 145 meters before it could flow through the release gates, which happened at 10:30 pm,” he said.

“Since then, the river has been flowing normally. NHPC assures that there won't be future drying up, and the flow will always be maintained,” said Pegu.

The blocked diversion tunnel was diverting the flow of the water of the Subansiri through a two-km long course from the dam site to the downstream of the river.

The SLHEP dam, which is scheduled to become operational from January 2024, has been a cause of concern for the public here as repeated landslides have hit its construction work periodically.

These recurring landslides indicate the fragile nature of the terrain where the hydropower dam is being constructed. Though the dam is claimed to be safe by the NHPC, its site on the hills is not.

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The NHPC allegedly did not conduct any geological assessment of the dam site while taking over the charge for SLHEP from the Brahmaputra Board.

The sudden drying of the Subansiri has also raised concerns about the biodiversity of the river in the downstream area.

Subansiri has a population of endangered Gangetic Dolphins and Golden Masheers, which face an imminent threat of being wiped out due to the current situation.

The Subansiri, which presently flows just 5 kilometers away from the district headquarters of North Lakhimpur in Assam, could cause widespread devastation if the situation is not addressed immediately.