Assam: Incessant Rains Create Sinkhole on Left Bank of Lower Subansiri Project

NORTH LAKHIMPUR: A huge sinkhole appeared on the side of the road near Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project on Friday. 

Reports say that the sinkhole appeared on the left bank of the project which is on the Assam side and falls under the Lakhimpur district right near the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. 

Due to the incident, the upper part of tunnel number 2 was completely damaged.

The sinkhole is the result of incessant rain in the area for the past two-three days. 

Nature seems to not like the placement of the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric project as it has over time borne the brunt of nature. 

A similar incident happened a year ago on this very date when a massive landslide turned the fifth diversion tunnel of the mega-dam project non-functional. As a result, the affected diversion tunnel could not divert the surge of water in the catchment area of the project which led to floods in the downstream areas of the river. 

Thus the consecutive natural disasters affecting the mega river dam project have justified the apprehensions regarding the future catastrophe to be caused by the big dam project in the downstream areas of Subansiri river covering four districts of North Assam, viz— Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Majuli, and Biswanath. 

The dam is also located in a seismic zone and it is significantly under-designed to resist earthquakes which means if a massive earthquake happens to strike the region, it would not be a pretty sight to witness.

The fluctuation of water level in the river is also feared to affect the ecology in the lower Subansiri region in the future.

The project has so far displaced 38 families in the upstream areas and numerous people have also been displaced from the downstream areas because of ecological changes endangered by the project. The project is also alleged to affect cultivation and cattle grazing in the downstream area.

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