The river's drying up is believed to be caused by a blockage on the No. 1 diversion tunnel of the dam...
Digital Desk: The Subansiri River suddenly dried up on Friday morning, causing widespread panic among the people of the Lakhimpur district of Assam.
The river's drying up is believed to be caused by a blockage on the No. 1 diversion tunnel of the dam on the left bank of the National Hydro-electrical Power Corporation's (NHPC) Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Power (SLHEP) plant.
The Subansiri River's flow has been redirected via the diversion tunnel across a two-kilometre distance, from the dam site to the river's downstream. The river's downstream sections continue to have a typical level of water due to this diversion. A landslide on Thursday night was the reason for the obstruction on the diversion tunnel.
"At around 11:30 am today, a landslide blocked the lone diversion tunnel in use, number 1, out of five diversion tunnels with a 9.5 m diameter. Before this, the remaining four diversion tunnel numbers had already been shut.
The downstream river flow is significantly decreased as a result," NHPC stated in a statement.
Given that the blockade caused the river to abruptly dry up, there is concern that the obstructed water may overrun the diversion tunnel, causing a catastrophe akin to the one that occurred recently in Sikkim.
The public has been concerned about the SLHEP dam, whose construction has been interrupted by frequent landslides, even though it is expected to open in January 2024.
The fragile landscape in the area where the hydroelectric dam is being built is demonstrated by these frequent landslides. The NHPC claims the dam is safe, but its location in the hills is not.
It is said that upon assuming responsibility for SLHEP from the Brahmaputra Board, the NHPC failed to carry out a geological evaluation of the dam's location.
Concerns have also been voiced concerning the river's biodiversity in the downstream region due to the Subansiri's sudden drying up.
The Gangetic Dolphin and Golden Masheer populations of Subansiri are under threat of extinction because of the current circumstances.
If the problem is not resolved immediately quickly, the Subansiri, which now flows within 5 kilometres from North Lakhimpur's district capital, might cause massive destruction.
Residents along the river have received a warning from the district administration to relocate to safer regions. As quickly as possible, NHPC personnel hope to remove the obstruction on the diversion tunnel and return the river to its regular course.
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