Are there more troubles awaiting on the ground in Kullu—one of the state's worst-hit districts by natural calamities, especially the extreme weather events including floods and cloud bursts?
State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has sounded a fresh alarm for the villages downstream Malana-II hydropower project following reports about the malfunctioning of the flood gates of the dam, which has been overflowing due to heavy rains. SDMA’s Special Secretary D C Rana confirmed to Outlook on Saturday that the “problem persists” as the gates of the overflowing 100 MW Malana II hydroelectric project remain jammed”.
The state government had requisitioned the services of the NDRF to help the private company -- M/s Everest Power Private Limited (EPPL) teams -- to force open the jammed flood gates of the 100 MW Malana II hydroelectric project in Kullu but of no meaningful use. The locals, mainly the natives of three to four villages just adjacent to overflowing dams, admitted that they were living under constant fears of an unexpected eventuality.
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“Even though no such tragedy had happened earlier ever since the commissioning of the project in 2012, because of relentless rains and flooding of the dams, one can’t sit and relax as nothing will happen to us. Kullu has been badly devastated. Did anyone imagine i?t” Sain Ram, a resident says.
Deputy Commissioner Kullu Ashutosh Garg, who has been on constant phone calls regarding rains, floods, and landslide damages in Kullu says, "The flood gates of the dam could not be opened. The dam is still overflowing. We have taken some advanced precautions. One of these is to keep the dam of Malana-I, a downstream project empty. That will help to contain the impact of the water if things aggravate."
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Did the company fail to take adequate precautions and undertake a safety audit of the dam? DC Kullu said, “We have issued notice to the company. Once they respond to the notice, we will examine the matter and take appropriate action.” He said the NDRF teams who were carrying out the rescue and relief operations for the past many days following the incessant rains, cloudbursts, landslides, and floods in the state, have been asked to assist in the opening of the jammed flood gates.
They have done a preliminary assessment of the situation and held discussions with the emergency technical teams of the project. A major difficulty is taking machinery up the project located at a height of 9000 feet with no road connectivity. The only fear remains that the dam walls should not suffer any damage and water keeps overflowing the above the height of the dam.
The Malana-II run-of-the-river power plant is located on the torrential Malana Nallah, a tributary of the Parbati River in the Beas Basin. Earlier, during torrential rains and floods in Beas between July 8 to 11, the flood gates of Pandoh dams were opened abruptly resulting in massive floods and submergence of Pandoh marketMandi's Panchvaktra temple and ancient Victoria Bridge.
The MeT center at Shimla has issued a fresh warning about Flash Flood Risk (FFR), besides moderate to high risk over a few watersheds and neighborhoods of Solan Shimla and Sirmaur districts in Himachal Pradesh for the next 24 hours.
