Sikkim Group Urges PM Modi to Halt Hydropower Projects After Nepal Floods

A group representing two ethnic communities in Sikkim has urged the Centre to halt and scrap all new and proposed hydroelectric projects in the Himalayan State, citing the extensive destruction caused by recent flash floods in neighbouring Nepal. The group has asked the government to draw lessons from the disaster and reconsider plans for further hydropower development in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region.

The appeal follows severe damage to hydropower infrastructure along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. At least 13 hydropower projects were reportedly affected, including the 111 MW Rasuwagadhi project, which suffered extensive damage. The destruction has renewed concerns among groups in the Himalayan region about the vulnerability of large infrastructure projects to extreme weather events, flooding and other natural hazards.

The Sikkim-based body has specifically called for the cancellation of new and proposed hydroelectric projects across the State. It has urged Prime Minister Modi and the Centre to consider the consequences of the Nepal disaster before allowing further construction in Sikkim. The group’s demand reflects concerns about the potential environmental and safety risks associated with major infrastructure development in a mountainous and geologically sensitive region.

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Sikkim has significant hydropower potential because of its mountainous terrain and river systems, and hydroelectric generation has been an important part of infrastructure planning in the State. However, the Himalayan environment is also exposed to landslides, flash floods and other natural hazards. The group’s appeal comes amid renewed debate over whether infrastructure development in such areas should take greater account of environmental vulnerability and the possibility of increasingly severe weather events.

The damage reported in Nepal has become a point of reference for those questioning the safety and sustainability of hydropower development in the Himalayan region. The affected projects along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli corridors demonstrate how extreme flooding can disrupt major infrastructure and surrounding areas. The Sikkim group has therefore called for a reassessment of proposed projects rather than proceeding with new construction without addressing the risks highlighted by recent events.

The demand now places the future of new hydropower projects in Sikkim under renewed public scrutiny. The group has asked the Centre to use the Nepal disaster as a warning and halt projects that it considers potentially hazardous to the State’s fragile Himalayan environment. While the appeal represents the group’s position, the broader issue involves balancing Sikkim’s hydropower potential with environmental protection, disaster preparedness and the safety of communities living in vulnerable mountain areas.

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