Teesta-V hydropower station

Current Context : Recently, a severe landslide in Sikkim has destroyed the Teesta-V hydropower station of the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited.

• The project was under restoration following the glacial outburst in October 2023, which had caused significant damage.

ABOUT TEESTA-V HYDROPOWER STATION

• Location: Mangan district, Sikkim, India,
• River : built on the Teesta River.
• Type: Run-of-river hydroelectric power plant.
• Capacity: 510 megawatts (MW).
• Developed and owned by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

ABOUT TEESTA RIVER

• Origin: Originates from the Teesta Kangse Glacier in the eastern Himalayas, specifically from the Kangchenjunga range in Sikkim, India.
• Course: The river flows southward through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal before crossing into Bangladesh. It eventually merges with the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh.
• It is a major right bank tributary of the Brahmaputra (known as Jamuna in Bangladesh)
• Hydropower Projects: Teesta-V Hydropower Station and Teesta-Dam-I
• Major Tributaries of Teesta River
  • Left-bank Tributaries : Lachung Chhu, Chakung Chhu, Dik Chhu, Rani Khola and Rangpo Chhu.
  • Right-bank Tributaries : Zemu Chhu, Rangyong Chhu and Rangit River.
• Major barrages constructed on Teesta –
  • Gajoldoba in West Bengal, India
  • Duani in Bangladesh.