After torrential rains in the last week of Jul2007 the NHPC Lo dam project at 27th mile went under water at around 3 AM (slides 1 and 2). I had gone there with a group of friends later the same after noon.
As the photos reveal, there has been a dramatic change since then and much progress seems to have been made in reconstructing the dam (slides 1a and2a). Where I have my doubt is in slide3..this is the area directly above the dam site on the road from to Rangli- Rangliot and Takdah. I hope the reconstruction of that and other areas which have been impacted by the dam construction is also as speedy.
praful rao
This winter (January 2007), while on the way to visit my village, I observed the manually operated rope-way in the area to be in a very dangerous state. I believe the wheels that carry the people and their luggages are on their last legs and will not last too long. It will break down and will take many lives if they are not replaced immediately. The rope also is not in a good shape and needs immediate repair or replacement. Till the mid 1990s there was a diesel run rope way that used to operate from 27th mile to Sep Tar (beyond Relli Khola). Because of the lack of maintenance and negligence on the part of the society that looked after the ropeway a massive accident took place sometimes in 1995 or 1996. Several people lost their lives during the accident. Consequently, the district administration banned the ropeway and gradually it was abandoned.
ReplyDeleteThere is a need to repair the ropeway to avoid similar kind of accident in the near future. The villagers will not be able to do the needful and there is no hope from the government either. NHPC is the only organisation the villagers at present can look forward to with hope. If it is feasible, until the project gets completed, the option of arranging a temporary bridge in the area needs to be looked into by the NHPC. Temporary bridge would be of immense help to the villagers and will save significant amount of time unlike the present ropeway which consumes unprecedented amount of time and operates only during the particular duration of time.
vimal,
ReplyDeleteas u know i have passed this information to rajeev bhai of "the telegraph". something should come out of this otherwise, we will have to take it up ASAP with NHPC directly under intimation to the DM, darjeeling
praful
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