[Reader-list] Sikkim quake may have been induced by dams across Teesta

[Rajkamal Goswami]

Dear All

Another damning doubt raised over the 'temples' of modern India!

Sikkim quake may have been induced by dams across Teesta Professor
Jeta Sankrityayan, former member State Planning Board, West Bengal and
also a member of the landslide expert committee 1998, has opined that
the presence of multiple dams on the river Teesta and its tributaries
could either induce or accelerate earthquakes.
“In early 1970 a major earthquake in Maharashtra had been triggered by
the Koyna dam located on the Sahyadri Hills. Though the role of the
dams on the River Teesta in the recent quake is yet to be studied, the
earthquake could have been induced or accelerated by the dams (dam
induced seismicity )” feels Sankrityayan.
The committee on landslides, which had also studied the tectonic plate
movement, had handed over recommendations to the government of West
Bengal in 2000. The committee had recommended that no constructions
should be allowed on the rivers.
The Central government’s “master vision” identifies the North-Eastern
region as “India’s future powerhouse” by building about 168 dams in
the region. To do this, the Teesta river in Sikkim is being
extensively dammed.
Around 35 hydel power projects have been identified in this region
with the Teesta Low Dam (TLD) project being the most prominent. The
TLD project, harnesses the Teesta river, which originates in Sikkim
and flows through North Bengal, creates a 332 MW capacity split into
four stages.
The first two stages for a total of 100 MW are in Sikkim, while stage
III of 100 MW and stage four of 132 MW are in West Bengal.
“It is very unfortunate that the Government does not pay heed to
recommendations of its own committee for which the public have to
suffer. Something more devastating can happen any day. It is time the
public woke up and pressurized the Government to act more reasonably.
Electricity in lieu of lives is not a very human option” added
Sankrityayan.

The Himalayas are a young chain of mountains formed by the Indian
tectonic plate colliding with the Eurasian plate.

While the river Teesta flows in a north-south direction, the Himalayan
fault lines lie in the east west direction.

“A major fault line is located at Kalijhora (considered the best
location to study Himalayan fault lines) and Teesta Low Dam Stage 4 is
located at Kalijhora” stated Sankrityayan. Bad weather disrupts rescue
work

Explaining dam induced seismicity, Sankrityayan stated that owing to
the dams checking the flow of the river, the water becomes heavy and
starts going down, usually seeping into crevasse.

“Water being a new element in the faults and crevasses in the
mountain, the mountain starts adjusting which causes the seismic
movements” stated Sankrityayan. The very flow of Teesta is an
indicator of the fault line.

While in Sikkim the Teesta flows is curves (zig zag) after Teesta
Bazar in West Bengal it flows in a straight line which suggests that
it could be flowing along fault line in West Bengal.

“Very few earthquake movements are in a North-South direction but the
6.8 magnitude quake which hit Sikkim and this region was in a
North-South movement. The epicenter was at the base of Mount
Kanchenjunga. The mountain moved.”

“It took a mere two seconds for the earthquake to reach North Bengal
University near Siliguri in the plains from Gangtok which is very
unusual” stated the Professor. The shake intensity recorded was 7
Mercalli in Mangan, 38 km from the epicenter and 7 Mercalli in
Siliguri 144 km away from Mangan. Gangtok too recorded a shake
intensity of 7 Mercalli “ stated Sankrityayan.  Sikkim toll now 73

“A full scale inspection and study should be conducted by geologists
and earth scientists into the recent quake and on the dam induced
seismicity. It should be an independent probe not influenced by the
Government. We should not be accelerating or bringing in such natural
events otherwise we will definitely have to pay a dear price”
suggested the Professor.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Sikkim-quake-may-have-been-induced-by-dams-across-Teesta/Article1-748547.aspx

regards

Rajkamal


-- 
Rajkamal