Officials across North Bengal have put the area on high alert after Bhutan’s Tala Hydropower Dam began overflowing due to a technical failure, heightening worries in a region still grappling with the devastating impact of Darjeeling’s landslides.
The crisis at the hydroelectric installation emerged after crucial gate mechanisms malfunctioned, preventing normal water release operations. Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology confirmed the technical breakdown at the Druk Green Power Corporation facility, which has resulted in excess water cascading over the dam structure.
Indian authorities received official notification from Bhutanese counterparts regarding the infrastructure failure, prompting immediate mobilization of emergency response systems. The West Bengal government has activated disaster protocols across districts likely to face downstream consequences.
Emergency response teams stationed in Alipurduar have been placed under maximum readiness conditions, according to National Disaster Response Force officials. The agency has canceled all personnel leave and is positioning an additional contingent of 15 specialists from its Siliguri training center to strengthen local capacity.
Meteorological analysis indicates a weather system that formed over eastern Uttar Pradesh has progressed eastward, currently positioned near Madarihat in the Dooars plains. Should significant precipitation occur across Bhutan’s mountainous terrain, water volumes in North Bengal’s river systems could surge dramatically within hours, creating conditions for sudden flooding events.
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Bhutan’s specialized flood monitoring unit will maintain continuous communication with power facility operators to track evolving conditions, according to official statements. District authorities throughout North Bengal have received directives to ensure maximum preparedness, with particular emphasis on communities situated along waterways and in topographically vulnerable zones.
Administrative personnel have been instructed to establish direct channels with Bhutanese technical teams to obtain updated water flow measurements and forecasts.
The hydropower emergency develops against the backdrop of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darjeeling’s hill subdivision, where intense rainfall has triggered catastrophic slope failures. At least 18 fatalities have been confirmed in the Mirik sector, with multiple settlements completely isolated due to infrastructure collapse.
NDRF Deploys Multiple Teams for Darjeeling Landslide Rescue Operations
NDRF has deployed five specialized units to landslide-affected zones. Three teams have already reached affected areas from Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Alipurduar stations, while reinforcements from Malda and Kolkata are in transit.
“National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed its three teams from Darjeeling, Siliguri and Alipurduar areas at the disaster-hit Mirik area in Darjeeling subdivision of West Bengal, where torrential rains have unleashed widespread devastation, triggering massive landslips that killed at least seven people and cut off several villages in the region. Two more teams- one each from Malda and Kolkata- are being moved. The NDRF teams are engaged in rescue operations,” NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi told ANI
Persistent overnight rainfall wreaked havoc in the Darjeeling district, with Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari the worst affected. Landslides swept away homes and roads, leaving several remote villages isolated.