Sikkim ruins yelp how the avalanche of development buried a lifesaver – disaster impact assessment

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Ground floors of buildings are buried in debris caused by flash floods after a lake burst in Rangpo, Sikkim.

Synopsis
India’s Himalayan states and UTs have 430 large hydropower projects. Add to this several new highway and railway projects crisscrossing the hills. But none undergo a disaster-impact assessment or a proper carrying-capacity study despite the fragility of the Himalayan ecosystem. Will the collapse of the Chungthang dam in Sikkim come as a sobering message?

Whom should we blame for the collapse of the Chungthang dam in Sikkim on October 4 that killed at least 40 with 76 still missing? The obvious answer would be the glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) that also washed away several highways, villages, and towns in the state. But is there more than meets the eye? Are impending disasters quietly hiding behind the spotlight of development? The short answer is yes. Sample this. India’s Himalayan region