Assam: Subansiri Dam’s Guard Wall Collapses, Fuels Flood Fear

The guard wall constructed for the security of the Subansiri dam has collapsed on Thursday evening due to torrential rain.

Even previously in July last year, two guard walls of the dam collapsed at the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHP) whose construction is underway at Gerukamukh along the Assam – Arunachal border in Dhemaji district.

The overflowing water of the River Subansiri has inundated the powerhouse of the project by breaching the guard wall off late. 

Moreover, a landslide occurred at Tunnel Road triggered by the heavy downpour.

Floods being an annual affair in Assam, the rainfall activity over the past 4-5 days, the main Brahmaputra river is already flowing in above normal flood situations, and its largest tributary Subansiri river is flowing in above normal flood situations to severe flood situations. Over the years flooding of the river has caused loss of livelihood and life.

Notably, Union MoS for Power & Heavy Industries Krishan Pal Gurjar on Monday last visited the NHPC's Subansiri Lower project to review the ongoing construction activities at different sites of the project.

Gurjar laid the foundation stone of the project's Turbine Assembly Unit 1, and inaugurated the 160 kwp rooftop solar power plant installed at the new administrative building of the project.

NHPC Ltd announced in December 2020, that the PSU giant will commission the 2,000 MW Subansiri hydropower project by March 2021.

The project was stalled for the last eight years starting from December 2011 to October 2019 due at Gerukamukh along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border on Subansiri River.

As per reports, 50 per cent of the construction of the powerhouse of the project was completed while the progress of the construction of the main dam and the intake tunnel is 70 per cent.