M A I N   N E W S

Flash floods in Sutlej
Bridges washed away; thousands evacuated
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 26
People living along the banks of the Sutlej survived yet another nightmare as flash floods caused by excessive melting of glaciers passed through a 200 km stretch of the river from Sumdoh to Sunni without causing any loss of human life. However, the huge mass of water carrying massive boulders and muck, which came hurtling down from the heights of Tibet at a terrific speed, left a trail of destruction along the banks.

The 60-metre high dam at Nathpa and the underground powerhouse at Jhakri of the 1500 MW project withstood the fury of the Sutlej. The fact that maximum discharge during the flood was about 60 per cent of the August 2000 flood and the administration was well-prepared saved the day .

While eight bridges were washed away, another three suffered extensive damage and require rebuilding. Almost half of Leo village, Army Mess at Sumdoh, an ITBP temple at Lepcha and some low-lying houses along the river have also been washed away. Hindustan-Tibet Road has been breached at several places. Large parts of Kinnaur district have been cut off as a result.

The Government of India was in touch with the Chinese authorities but until evening it could not be ascertained whether or not the floods were caused by a breach in the lake formed in Tibet on the Parechu river by landslide. The exact position will be known tomorrow from satellite imageries. Experts of the Central Water Commission were of the view that the quantity of water was too less and not muddy enough to suggest a breach in the Parechu lake. However, ITBP sources maintained that the water came from Parechu.

There was no loss of life, thanks to the timely warning given by the administration. Eight bridges, including those at Khab, Karcham, Leo, Akpa, Rampur and Kharo were washed away and those at Moorang and Kanam were damaged. Except Karcham, the rest were Bailey bridges. Some houses on the edge of the river at Brow village in Kulu were also washed away.

People feared the worst as the huge mass of water carrying massive boulders and muck hurtled down into the Indian territory at Lepcha, the point where the Parechu river enters India from China at around 10.00 am. Within no time, the level of the river shot up by 60 ft submerging low-lying areas of Sumdoh and Lepcha. Panic ruled the villages located along the banks of the Sutlej from Sumdoh to Sunni as a red alert was sounded and the flood warning system flashed the information regarding the impending floods. Vehicles fitted with loudspeakers moved from village to village, asking people to move to safer places. Traffic on the busy Hindustan-Tibet Road was also stopped by the administration as a precautionary measure as some stretches of the road are very close to the river.

Thereafter it was an agonising wait for the people of 57 villages located downstream who left their houses in panic and perched themselves on high slopes, a good 100 to 200 metres up from the river bed to escape the fury of the floods. They waited for three to eight hours for the impending doom and heaved a sigh of relief only when the flood passed their respective villages. In all, about 4,000 persons were moved to safer places.

The flood water reached the Nathpa dam at 4.15 pm. The initial burst of water raised the level by 15 metres but the spillway of the dam, which had a capacity to carry 5,500 cumecs, proved adequate. The discharge recorded was about 3000 cumecs. It was almost half the maximum discharge of 6,500 cumecs recorded during the August 2000 flood. The project authorities had released water from the dam as soon as the information regarding upsurge in the level of the river at Sumdoh was received in the morning. The water started receding after about 30 minutes and by 5.30 pm the discharge had come down to 1451 cumecs. At the powerhouse outfall at Jhakri, the level of the river surged to a maximum of 11.5 metres and the floods passed without causing any damage.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, accompanied by Mr S.S. Parmar. Chief Secretary, and senior officers conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas up to Khab to have a first-hand assessment of the situation. He held an emergency meeting of officers at the Annandale helipad and directed the administration to start relief and rehabilitation measures immediately and released Rupees 1 crore for the purpose. He left for Delhi after the meeting.

The disaster management group met in Delhi under the chairmanship of the Union Cabinet Secretary, Mr B.K. Chaturvedi, and took several decisions to deal with the situation. Army units were despatched from Chandigarh to install Bailey bridges and some additional companies of the ITBP were also sent to assist the state authorities in carrying out relief and rehabilitation measures. The Air Force was kept on standby for evacuating marooned people, but with the flood water receding, its services may not be required.

In the August 2000 floods, 22 bridges and about 125 persons were washed away.