Garhwal Post Bureau
CHAMOLI, 2 Aug: A landslide struck the Helang dam site of the under-construction Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, being developed by THDC on the Alaknanda river near Joshimath, injuring twelve workers on Saturday afternoon. The debris, which came cascading down the mountain slopes, hit the project area where construction activity was underway and where nearly seventy of the approximately three hundred workers employed on site were present.
Upon receiving information about the incident, the Tehsil administration, along with police, SDRF, and health department teams, rushed to the site and swiftly carried out rescue operations. The injured were promptly admitted to various medical facilities. According to District Magistrate Sandeep Tiwari, there were no fatalities in the incident, and all twelve injured workers have been accounted for and are under treatment.
Four workers are currently undergoing treatment at the THDC hospital, while two critically injured labourers have been admitted to Swami Vivekananda Hospital in Pipalkoti. One of the most severely injured individuals has been referred to the Srinagar Medical College for specialised care. Another worker was treated for a fracture in Pipalkoti. The remaining injured workers were discharged after receiving first aid and have been sent back to the labour camp.
The landslide occurred while work was underway on the dam’s diversion tunnel, which is being used to divert the Alaknanda river for the project’s construction. The Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project is one of the major infrastructure projects in the region, aimed at bolstering Uttarakhand’s hydroelectric capacity.
The district administration has temporarily halted construction activities at the site following the incident. Authorities are now reviewing safety protocols and security arrangements at the project location. DM Sandeep Tiwari stated that several workers had managed to evacuate to safer ground owing to timely early warnings before the landslide occurred.
Those admitted to Pipalkoti hospital include Pravin Prakash (34) of Urgam, Joshimath; Pawan Singh (33) of Saurmath, Tehri; Natthu Raut (45) of Kariya, Jharkhand; and Akash (20) of Lakhimpur Kheri. The remaining injured, who were given first aid and sent to the camp, are Vishal Kumar (21) of Giridih, Jharkhand; Darshan Singh (41) of Pilkhi, Urgam; Suraj (28) of Chhinka, Chamoli; Lakhan Paswan (46) of Aurangabad, Bihar; Anup Kumar (32) of Pipalkoti; Satish Modi (36) and Dhananjay Modi (40), both from Purulia, Bengal; and Lal Sardar (34) of Singhbhum, Jharkhand.
Of the total 300 workers deployed at the dam site, approximately 70 were at the specific location affected by the landslide. Among the twelve injured, six have been reported as seriously injured, with one requiring referral to a higher medical facility in Srinagar. The incident underscores the need for enhanced safety measures at large infrastructure sites in geologically sensitive areas like Chamoli.
