Uttarakhand: 11 workers of NHPC trapped as landslide blocks tunnels of Dhauliganga Power Project, 8 rescued

Heavy downpours across Uttarakhand in recent weeks have triggered multiple landslides

Eleven employees of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC) were trapped inside a power house on Sunday as a landslide blocked normal and emergency tunnels of Dhauliganga Power Project in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh, officials said to news agency PTI.

Initially, 19 people were trapped but later eight of them were rescued by the administration, they said. The path leading to the normal and emergency tunnels of the 280 MW power project in the Ealagarh area near Dharchula in the district was blocked due to a landslide caused by heavy rains. "After the incident, the administration immediately started the process of removing the debris. Right now, eight out of 19 people have been taken out while the process of taking out 11 others is underway,” Pithoragarh District Magistrate Vinod Goswami said.

He added that the situation is under control at the moment

Deputy District Magistrate Jitendra Verma said that despite the continuous falling of debris, JCB machines of the Border Roads Organisation and a haulage company have been deployed to clear the debris.

Earlier, 19 workers of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) are trapped after a massive landslide blocked both the normal and emergency tunnels of the Dhauliganga hydropower project in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district on Sunday, news agency PTI reported. The path leading to the normal and emergency tunnels of the Dhauliganga power project in Ealagarh area near Dharchula in the district was blocked due to a landslide caused by heavy rains.

Dharchula Deputy District Magistrate Jitendra Verma said to PTI that machines have been deployed to remove the debris, and the way will be cleared by evening, after which all the workers will be able to come out. He said that despite the continuous falling of debris, the work of clearing the way is underway with the help of JCB machines of the Border Roads Organisation.

Verma said that all the workers are safe and they will come out after the way to the power house is opened. He also said that power generation from the power project is continuing normally.

The Dhauliganga project, located in a landslide-prone zone of the Himalayas, has previously faced disruptions during extreme rainfall. Heavy downpours across Uttarakhand in recent weeks have triggered multiple landslides, raising concerns over the safety of workers in power projects and infrastructure sites.

*With Agency Inputs